NCIS: Generation Next
by rekkidbraka
Summary: Mini-sequel to "The Taming Of The Two," featuring the NCIS/romantic adventures of Tony & Ziva's grown son, Jack DiNozzo. New chapters: "Missionary Man" and "Stretch Out And Wait." No slash. TIVA-related content. HIATUS FOR NOW. WILL WRAP UP UPON RETURN.
1. I Just Haven't Met You Yet

Title: I Just Haven't Met You Yet

Author: rekkidbraka

Rating: T

Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.

Category: Romance

Disclaimer: No infringement intended.

Spoilers: None

Summary: A look into the future when Baby Jack's all grown up and...

_**Note:**__ These "looks into the future" don't necessarily mean things are going to happen. Not at all. But sometimes I enjoy imagining "What if?" And while I'm no fan of one character mentioned later in this story, I couldn't help wondering what if... Tony's son fell for her daughter someday? So let's have fun and just think "Hmmm..." :-)_

* * *

Sipping his Jamaican Mocha coffee, Jack DiNozzo indulged in one of his favorite pastimes that didn't involve the removal of clothing: People-watching.

Specifically, Jack was most closely watching those people of the female gender.

From his seat at the outside table of his favorite D.C. café, he enjoyed a panoramic view of one of Washington's busiest streets. Women strolled by him, making their way to lunch or heading off on quick errands. Jack's green eyes followed their legs as they moved down the sidewalk.

_Best seat in the house,_ he thought to himself, taking a long swig of coffee as his eyes fixed on one young woman seated on a nearby bench beneath a tree. Dressed in a prim skirt and button-down shirt with her brown hair pulled back into a severe ponytail, she looked bookish — not really Jack's type. But her legs had his full attention; he couldn't take his eyes off them. They were slim, smooth and strong. Was she a little older than he was? Looked like it. Just a few months or so — not quite a year, maybe. Did he care? No. He liked the idea of it, actually. He liked the idea of _her_.

As if sensing she were being watched, the woman looked up suddenly from the text she'd been reading and glared at Jack, her ice-blue eyes cold with anger. Jack's response was to shoot her a sexy smile and a wink, toasting her with his coffee as he raised an eyebrow at her suggestively. Slapping the book shut, she hurriedly gathered her purse and stormed off. Jack studied her form as she walked away.

_Great body,_ he judged. Slowly, he brought his coffee once more to his lips. _Cute, the way she's trying to hide it under that..._

Jack's thoughts were rudely interrupted by a cellphone call from his partner, Tom McGee.

"This better be good, McWhipped," Jack barked into the phone, fuming at having lost sight of his mystery woman. "If the little woman asked you to pick up milk, bread and eggs and you need me to swing by the store again to C-Y-A, well, the answer is a big, fat N-O 'no' and..."

"Boss wants you back in the office NOW, Jack," Tom said, ignoring his partner's insults. "I've been trying to cover for you but she's starting to ask where you are and I don't think 'girl-watching' qualifies as the kind of answer she'll accept without question."

"Have you tried?" Jack drained the rest of his coffee. The mystery woman was gone and Jack felt strangely depressed at the thought of probably never seeing her again.

"That supposed to be funny, DiNozzo?" Jack's boss, Special Agent Susan Palmer, had taken the phone from Tom. She wasn't in the mood for jokes. Just as she wasn't ever in the mood for dirt. The Bullpen had to be kept spotlessly clean.

"On my way in now, Boss," Jack stammered, rushing to leave enough cash to pay for his coffee and tip. "Getting in some... uh... field surveillance and I was just..."

The phone clicked off and Jack sighed. He was in a fix with Palmer again. Tom was the clean-cut "perfect" agent and Jack, like his old man had been before him, was known as NCIS' resident troublemaker.

Those were the thoughts distracting him as he ran across the busy street, barely noticing that the "WALK" signal had changed. White lights had turned red.

He never saw the taxi hurtling around the corner. It, too, was in a hurry.

* * *

Once Jack awoke, the first thing he noticed was the bright light beaming right into his eye. He blinked against it, squinting. His head throbbed, aching as if a thousand-pound elephant were sitting on his forehead and he groaned, the pain hitting him as he regained full consciousness.

When the bright light shut off, Jack noticed the person behind it — the doctor who'd been examining him.

The skirt and shirt ensemble she'd been wearing earlier were now replaced by blue scrubs and a short white lab coat. The icy blue eyes that had glared at Jack now viewed him with real concern. She asked him a few questions about where he was, did he remember his name, what did he do for a living. He answered them, joking that he knew she really hadn't been that mad at him before. Before? she asked. Remind me about before, she pressed, pushing back her light brown hair from her face; the harsh ponytail was gone. Jack recounted the scene at lunchtime, his green eyes sparkling as he did so. The doctor couldn't help but smile. She was glad he remembered; it meant his concussion might not be as serious as she'd initially feared. He told her there was no way he could forget her. No taxi running me down could get you outta my head, Jack told his doctor. Now she blushed, nervously studying her write-up on him.

They'd be keeping him overnight, the doctor told Jack. For observation.

Would she be the one doing the observing? Jack asked, a grin playing at his lips. The doctor blushed again, trying not to smile herself. But Jack knew she enjoyed his attention. The flirting wasn't one-sided; she was doing her share, too.

Perhaps, she replied. Maybe she'd come check on him when she got off later.

He'd love to see her, Jack said, when she got off. Later.

You're getting better, Mr. DiNozzo, the doctor said with a sexy smile as she started to leave.

Yeah, well... Wait'll you see me at my best, Jack answered, winking.

* * *

By the time the doctor ended her shift and headed up to Jack's room as she'd promised, he was already sound asleep. But she looked in on him anyway and, carefully so as not to wake him, touched his hand. When the EMTs had brought him in that afternoon, bleeding and unconscious, she'd recognized him immediately as the handsome man who'd been watching her at the café. She'd hoped she might run into him again somehow but not like this.

_DiNozzo,_ she thought. Sighing, she took a seat by his bed and studied his face. He looked just like his father had when he was younger. She'd seen an old photo of Tony DiNozzo with his wife and children that had been sent to her mother. Her parents and the DiNozzos were friendly from years gone by and the two couples sent each other occasional postcards and photos, always promising to visit sometime soon but never quite getting around to it. Now she was treating the boy she'd seen in all those photos. He'd grown into a devastatingly handsome and charming man. _Just like my mother said his father was,_ the young doctor thought to herself. But her mother and her patient's father weren't meant to be together. Her Mamá fell head over heels for her Papá and had never looked back. And Tony DiNozzo had done the same with his wife. Separately, they had each found their true soulmates.

Closing her eyes just for a minute after her long, stressful day, the doctor wondered what real love must feel like. She'd never known. All the highbrow men in medical school who were interested in her only because of her father's fame as a doctor... It's why she'd started using her mother's maiden name. She only wanted respect for her own work, not flattery for her medical pedigree. But her principles left her often alone with that work — and lonely. She hadn't been prepared for what had happened earlier, when she looked up to see Jack's eyes fixed on her. Men didn't look at her... _that_ way. She'd worked to look plain so that she'd go unnoticed. So why had _he_ keyed in on her? How was _he_ able to see through her disguise? She was interested. Could she trust him? Jack looked like a man who knew women — many women — and enjoyed knowing them... in every sense of the word. She wanted only one man in her life. Maybe he was the one. She'd like to find out, but...

Opening her eyes to take one last look at Jack before she left the hospital for the night, she found him staring solemnly at her. Stroking his hand, she introduced herself — Dr. Gabrielle Benoit — and tenderly reassured Jack that she would take good care of him. He grinned and replied that he knew she would. And not just there in the hospital. Could she begin seeing him on an... outpatient basis? I'm a sick, sick man, Doc, Jack said with a wink. Then he gave her that look again, the one that searched her soul. Something told her that despite all the joking around, Jack was trying to send her a serious message. His thumb caressed her palm. _He wants me,_ she realized.

She had to laugh before telling him that he was right about being sick. And that perhaps she'd make a house call sometime. He promised to be a good patient if she would.


	2. Fallin' In

Title: Falling In  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: A look into the future: Jack and Gabrielle get closer. Much closer.

* * *

_**Note:** These "looks into the future" don't necessarily mean things are going to happen. But sometimes I enjoy imagining "What if?" _

**-------------------- Falling In ---------------------**

"_You_ cooked this? Impressive." Gabrielle took a sip of her cabernet and studied Jack's face, her blue eyes made even paler by the candlelight illuminating the small table he'd set up on the hospital rooftop. The night was comfortably warm, late spring having started transitioning into early summer. Soon it would be too hot for anything like this.

"One of my many talents," Jack answered, a wry grin playing at his lips. "I'm a renaissance kind of guy, Doc. Cooking... Investigating... Romancing..." He poured himself another glass of the deep red wine. "Especially that last part." He winked at her over the flickering candle.

"Mmmm-hmmm," she agreed. "I'll bet. You look like a man who's had plenty of practice." She took a quick sip of wine before saying, somewhat under her breath, "And opportunities." The tiniest sprig of jealousy sprouted deep within Gabrielle, irritating her as a grain of sand to the eye might. She wanted to rid herself of it but couldn't. It stung, the idea of Jack possibly having pulled off a romantic evening like this for another woman at some point in the past.

_Let it go,_ she pleaded with herself. _Stop. Now._

"Huh?" Jack asked, frowning. "What's that supposed to mean?" He leaned back in his small folding chair, staring across the tiny table at her. The smile on his face had been quickly replaced with a probing glare. Gabrielle guessed it wasn't unlike what he employed when interrogating suspects for NCIS. Jack crossed his arms over his chest, awaiting her answer. Now he raised an eyebrow in her direction and wasn't at all being flirtatious. He was upset about her last comment.

"Well, come on, Jack," Gabrielle said, taking a moment to swallow hard and steady her voice before continuing. "I think we both have an idea of your... track record... when it comes to women." She clenched her jaw; there wasn't any retreat now. "You're... experienced." She shrugged, trying to play the moment off as something casual when it clearly wasn't. "I should just be okay with it, right? I mean, we're just having fun — isn't that what you think? Nothing serious to see here."

Any residual charm Jack had remaining was gone. The fury in his eyes was undeniable.

"You don't know a damn thing _about_ me, Doc," he shot back, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You know, I HATE it when you call me that!" Gabrielle snapped, hating the shrillness of her own voice at that minute. "I worked HARD to earn my medical degree, Jack, and when you call me 'Doc' it makes me think you don't respect me — or my work!"

"Oh, gee," Jack said, his smooth voice dripping with sarcasm, "I'm sorry. I'll try to work on being respectful of your feelings, _Gabrielle_. Because, as you've already figured out, I have _SO_ much 'experience' when it comes to women's emotions — given all those 'opportunities' I've had to..."

Gabrielle suddenly stood, hurling her white linen napkin down onto the table. Her brown hair blew across her face in the night air and she angrily tossed it back. Jack remained in his seat, glaring up at her, his arms still folded defensively across his chest.

"Dammit, Jack, just stay away from me!" Gabrielle hissed, her voice choking as she forced back tears. "Because it's over!"

Now Jack sat up straight, his green eyes searching her face. He looked uncertain of what to do or say; the situation was far beyond control. Tears clouded Gabrielle's vision, obscuring him. She would not wipe them away.

"_We're_ over," she said softly, unable to keep from sobbing as she turned and hurriedly left the rooftop.

* * *

Before opening the door to her small apartment, Gabrielle needed a minute to re-process everything that had happened earlier.

Why had her dinner with Jack gone so wrong? It wasn't supposed to be this way. The night should've ended with promises of a next date, a kiss, maybe even something more...

But it hadn't. She'd let her emotions take over, getting irritated with him about... nothing much, now that she thought about it. Accusing him of not taking her seriously — of not taking _them_ seriously — why had she done that? And there was no real "them" yet to speak of. They'd been on a couple of rather chaste dates over the past month, gone to dinner, met for coffee... and she'd pressed him for a commitment based on those events. Their dates were exploratory moves, not his way of outlining a life together for them. She knew he'd been with many other women already; she could just tell. But did she have a right to the jealousy she felt because she wasn't as experienced as he was, because she was insecure about whether Jack would ever be the kind of man who fell in love with only one woman? She wanted a family, a husband. Perhaps she wanted too much. Especially from him.

Tears welled up in Gabrielle's eyes and she pushed her light brown hair back from her face before moving to unlock the door. Swallowing hard, she tried to control her breathing as she turned the knob, knowing this was going to be another night alone. And Jack wouldn't be calling to check on her as he usually did when she got home after her late night shifts. She'd upset him this time; he'd set up a romantic evening — gone out of his way to do so, in fact — and she'd wrecked it. The green eyes that sparkled with mischief and playfulness, she'd learned, could also flare with real anger when Jack was hurt.

_First do no harm,_ Gabrielle thought. _Nice work, Doctor._

The apartment door opened into inky blackness. Stepping inside, she felt small and completely alone. Hearing the door click shut behind her, she unconsciously turned the deadbolt, locking herself into the nothingness that awaited. Without even turning on a light, Gabrielle automatically made her way into her bedroom, where she carefully placed her short white lab coat on a chair near the window before sitting on the edge of the bed, too physically and emotionally exhausted to remove her scrubs. Staring into the darkness, she wondered what Jack was doing. Was he thinking of her? She hated herself for thinking that he might be doing something, indeed. With someone else.

"I'm sorry."

The voice, a husky whisper from just over her shoulder, so alarmed her that she couldn't even react quickly enough to scream. Her breath caught in her throat, choking any sound, and she gasped with terror.

There was a clicking noise and soft light bathed the room. Jack's handsome face came into view. He lay on the bed, still dressed in the suit he'd worn to their rooftop dinner, his green eyes fixed on Gabrielle. When he saw how badly he'd frightened her, he sat up quickly, looking wholly apologetic.

"Aw, honey..." he began, reaching out a hand to caress her cheek. "Doc," he said thickly before correcting himself. "I mean... Gaby..."

Her breathing having steadied at the sight of him, she silenced him with the touch of her index finger on his lips.

"I'm sorry, too," she whispered. Her eyes pleaded with him to forgive her. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. "Jack... please..."

"Baby..." he groaned, taking her in his arms. "Shhh... don't. Don't cry, Gabrielle."

"Doc," she said, pressing her lips against his neck. Jack grinned. He knew she'd always liked his special nickname for her.

"Whatever you say... Doc," Jack said huskily, his lips finding hers as she pushed him down onto the bed.

* * *

"Hello? Is this thing on?" Jack blew comically into Gabrielle's stethoscope just before she placed the prongs into her ears.

"Speak into my steth and you'll need a reconstructive surgeon when I'm finished with you, DiNozzo," she teased.

"Fine bedside manner you've got there, Doc," Jack shot back, winking.

"I didn't hear any complaints earlier," Gaby remarked, placing the stethoscope on Jack's chest. He giggled, the medical instrument tickling his chest hair.

"Couldn't string together two coherent thoughts then," Jack said, grinning as he remembered their lovemaking. Gaby rolled her eyes.

"Do you _ever_ stop talking?" Gaby teased, finding a better spot for her instrument.

"That last time, when you had me all... stretched out... that way, Doc? Those sounds I was making were NOT talking." Jack smiled, running his tongue along his teeth. "Think you threw out my back. _Unnhhh_..." He shifted, trying to flex his lower back muscles without success.

"Shhhh! I'm trying to listen to your heartbeat, Ace." Gaby kissed Jack's hairy chest. He loved the feel of her lips on his skin. Also when she called him "Ace." It was an in-joke, started after he'd once referred to himself as "Jack DiNozzo, NCIS: Ace Special Agent." Payback for calling her "Doc," he guessed. Cute.

"Who said I _have_ a heart? Maybe I'm heartless — _a heartless cad!_" Jack ran his hand through her light brown hair, pushing it back from where it wanted to fall across her face. Although they had only finished making love a short time before, Jack wanted Gabrielle again now. Touching her had left him feeling more fulfilled than he'd ever felt before. He'd been looking for someone to spend his life with and now he'd found her. He was in love.

Gaby listened intently, now having found her boyfriend's pulse. His heartbeat was steady and strong. Just like his lovemaking. She'd had to work to keep control under his hand. Worried that she wasn't experienced enough compared to the former women in his life, she'd found that he couldn't get enough of her all night. Their first time was intense, purely physical; he'd devoured her much in the way a starved man would go after food. The second time was far more relaxed. They took their time, enjoying and exploring one another. The tension between them was calmed; now they let their emotions direct the experience.

And Jack was an amazing lover. He touched Gabrielle as if he'd known every inch of her body his entire life. She wondered if he could tell that this was the first time a man had ever physically brought out what she knew she was supposed to feel when making love. For years, she'd thought something was wrong with her. Now she knew: She just needed the right man to make it happen.

"Doc?"

She loved the nickname. No other man could get away with calling her such an informal title and she'd meant what she said to him about having worked hard to earn her medical degree. But she knew Jack was attracted to her for that intelligence, for the intensity with which she practiced her craft. And it endeared him to her that much more.

"You through pokin' around? Exam over yet?" Jack gazed down at her, his green eyes sleepy. They'd both expended lots of energy all night.

"I reserve the right to perform a follow-up," Gaby teased, placing her stethoscope on the table beside the bed. "_Wherever_ necessary," she added suggestively, resting her head against Jack's chest. He kissed the top of her head before lying back against his pillow, closing his eyes. Gaby knew he was losing his battle against sleep. But so was she.

"I'm all yours," Jack said thickly, pulling Gaby against him. The warmth of his body intoxicated her. "I love you, Doc."

"I love you, too... Ace," Gaby replied, stroking his chest tenderly. "So much."

"Mmmm..." Jack groaned low in his throat, clutching her as if he'd never let her go. And his final thought before sleep overtook him was that he wouldn't.


	3. Edge Of Desire

Title: Edge Of Desire  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Jack and Gabrielle settle into romance. Caution: SMUT alert.

**-------------------- Edge Of Desire ---------------------**

"Hmmm... What is it about you these days?" Sarah sipped her black coffee, doing everything in her power not to snicker as she brought the cup to her lips. Teasing her younger brother never got old, no matter how tall and strong he'd grown. "You know, Jack, you're just... Oh, what is the word I'm looking for?"

"Annoyed?" Jack finished for her, smirking sarcastically. "With you? Heh heh heh... Because that's all I can come up with, Sis." Sitting back in his chair, he folded his arms defensively across his chest. His green eyes dared her to keep needling him.

"Radiant!" Sarah said, pointing a finger at her brother, who glared at her. He wasn't amused. "You're positively radiant since you started seeing Gaby. The little apples are back in your cheeks." Knowing that Jack hated it when she spoke to him this way, Sarah pressed on. "My little baby brother is in love."

Jack, having heard about all he could handle for one afternoon, leaned towards his sister, glowering as he rested his arms on the table in the café.

"Stop talking to me like I'm a chick, OK? _Radiant..._" Jack snorted. "And will ya QUIT calling me your 'little baby brother,' for Pete's sake?" he said in a low voice, sticking out his lower lip in a pout. "You're only a year older than me and..." Jack paused, looking around to make sure no one was listening in. "C'mon, Sarah, I'm a MAN." He thumbed the open area of his dress shirt. "See? Hairy CHEST. All MAN."

"Okay," Sarah agreed. "My little baby brother MAN is in love." She couldn't keep from laughing out loud.

"Is this because I tried to feed Jenny Giraffe to Shep when I was two?" Jack asked, narrowing his eyes at his sister. "Still can't let it go, huh?"

* * *

"... and she just kept on with the 'my little baby brother' bit. She knows I hate it. That's why she says it." Jack pouted into Gaby's shoulder as she snuggled against him, studying one of her medical texts as they lay together on her sofa. "She's a year older than me, that's all."

"I'm older than you," Gaby reminded him.

"Yeah, like... six months. Big deal," Jack scoffed, snorting ever so slightly. He loved the smell of her shampoo and he took the opportunity to breathe it in.

"Eight months, Ace," Gaby murmured, her blue eyes fixed on a complicated trauma procedure. "And you love being Sarah's little baby brother. Don't lie."

"Aw, whatever, Doc," Jack sighed, knowing he couldn't win this little skirmish. Gaby and Sarah were thick as thieves. "Anyway, I told her to quit it because I'm a man now and..."

Gaby looked up from her text. She shifted her position in order to face Jack directly. He grimaced, sensing he was about to be in trouble for something.

"You didn't pull the 'Hairy Chest Man' routine, did you?" Jack blushed, having been caught, and couldn't hold back a devious grin. "Oh, Jack, really? Really?" Gaby rolled her eyes. "Hairy CHEST," she mocked, deepening her voice as she thumbed at her upper chest. "All MAN."

Jack's green eyes sparkled. Now it was Gaby's turn to wait for what might be coming her way.

"Weird," he said, a look of concern knitting his brow. "You oughta see a doctor about that." Winking, he continued, "I know a good one. She makes house calls."

* * *

"I'm not going to tell you again, Hairy Chest Man. Stay still. Doctor's orders." Gaby was only pretending to scold Jack, a sly smile playing at her lips as she tried to look stern.

"But that... tickles," Jack groaned, shifting his hips ever so slightly. "I don't think what you're... doing to me right now is... in the Hippocratic... Oath." Swallowing hard, he took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to relax as he grew more and more aroused. He'd been eager all day to see her, enjoy one of the intimate "physicals" reserved just for him before they spent the night in each other's arms making love until they were exhausted. It was all he could do to get through his workday and lunch with Sarah; Gabrielle was on his mind all the time.

Gaby's mouth met Jack's just then, her tongue probing his hungrily. She heard a deep growl rise from Jack's throat as his strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her body tightly under his as he fitted her against him. There wouldn't be any more teasing; Gabrielle knew when Jack was ready to make love. And he took their intimacy seriously, taking pains to make sure that she was always completely satisfied.

Tonight, he was in a lazy mood, moving slowly within her as she clutched at him, moaning his name into his strong, sweaty shoulder. The wait was agonizing as he gently stroked her from inside, seemingly in no hurry to move their lovemaking along. Knowing that he could go on like this for longer than she could stand to hold back, Gabrielle pressed her nails into Jack's muscles, begging him "Please... Jack... Please... Now..."

Pulling back to look down on her, she noticed the boyish grin playing at the corners of his lips. His green eyes danced in the moonlight. He had her exactly where he wanted her.

Suddenly he surged within her, causing Gabrielle to cry out. For a split second, Jack held back, fearing he'd hurt her, but she pulled his body tight against hers and told him to love her. He did as she asked. When they reached the height of their union, Gabrielle no longer had the strength to call Jack's name. They'd given each other everything they had.

After a few hours' fitful sleep, they woke together in the tangled sheets. Gaby shivered in the dark; night had taken on a chill. Her eyes followed Jack's naked form as he rose from her bed, stretched and laid a thick quilt over her for warmth. She ushered him back into the bed, not wanting him away from her, and relaxed in his strong arms while he talked to her in low, smooth tones, reminding her that he loved her. She assured him that the feeling was mutual, which earned her one small kiss... which led to another... and another... and still another...


	4. Half Of My Heart

Title: Half Of My Heart  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Jack and Gabrielle look forward to a future together. Only, their pasts aren't quite behind them.

**-------------------- Half Of My Heart ---------------------**

Jack's green eyes peered over the vintage Mustang's engine as he squatted to take a look from a different angle at his repair work for the afternoon. Frowning, he let out a little snort, unsatisfied with his tinkering.

A pair of green eyes mirroring his own met his stare from the opposite side of the car. The brow framing them was knitted, also unhappy with what it saw. Jack noticed the slightly graying eyebrows and couldn't keep a little grin from playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Whaddaya think, old man?" Jack said jokingly to the eyes across from his. Awaiting the answer he knew was coming, Jack's green eyes sparkled with mischief. He loved moments like this.

"Who you callin' old... JUNIOR?" Tony DiNozzo's smooth voice shot back across the garage at his son, enjoying their little repartee. Jack was just like him in every way, some in which Tony wished his boy hadn't inherited his traits.

"Hey, I'm Anthony _James_," Jack reminded his father with a wink. "So I'm not your Junior... JUNIOR!" Knowing that his grandfather, Anthony DiNozzo Sr., had called his dad "Junior," which really rankled Tony, Jack made sure to tease his father by using the name whenever possible. But the two men knew it was all in fun; Jack worshipped Tony.

"Don't make me interrupt your mom's gardening to have her come kick your ass, son," Tony shot back, smiling wryly. Jack laughed out loud. "Cold one?" Tony opened the old refrigerator he kept in his garage and offered Jack a brown bottle of beer. Father and son toasted each other, clinking their bottles together as they took mighty swigs of the brew.

"Ahhhh... Buckeye Brew," Jack sighed, savoring the taste of his favorite beer which, of course, was also his father's favorite beer. "Doc saw some in my fridge last weekend. Said she'd never heard of the stuff. Gave her a bottle to try and she spit it out! Said it smelled like the stuff they use to mop up the OR after a trauma!" Tony and Jack snorted disbelievingly in unison, shaking their heads as they downed another gulp of "their" beer. "Chicks..." Jack muttered, still unable to believe that anyone could hate Buckeye Brew. His sister Sarah liked it, after all, and she was a girl. Woman. Marine. Whatever. Jack shrugged. Some things about Gabrielle he was still working to figure out.

"Your mom hates it, too," Tony said, sniffing. "Never could understand why." He took a long pull on his beer.

"MOM hates the Brew?" Jack was stunned. His mom could drink any man — his dad included — under the table. Okay, well, she probably couldn't drink Gibbs under the table but he never challenged her. Gibbs... Jack missed him. But Sarah missed him most. _Paul's like Gibbs,_ Jack thought as he sipped his beer. _Quiet guy. That's gotta be the attraction there. Also the Marine sniper thing. Plus the last name._

"She's her own woman, kid," Tony replied. "Always has been. No pinning _that _crazy chick down." He snickered. "Well... heh... except for that one time when..."

"Aw... GOD! Please don't tell the story of my... conception in the park for the fifteen-hundredth time, huh?" Jack said, sticking out his tongue in mock disgust. "Gaby won't let me hear the end of it. Keeps saying it's cute. _Cute_ isn't the word for what it is." He shuddered, the thought of his parents having sex making him queasy. Since Tony had told Gabrielle the whole "romantic" story, she'd found ways to bring it into conversation whenever she thought Jack was feeling a little too smug. _Making love in the park... outdoors,_ she'd say suggestively. _I can think of worse ways to spend an afternoon._ And Jack would bury his head under his pillow while she giggled, knowing he was embarrassed at the idea.

"You think you're the only one who ever hit the sheets, son? Ha HAH!" Tony finished his beer, chucking the bottle into a recycle bin. "I was quite the ladies' man back in my day, too, y'know. Couldn't keep the chicks away." Tony glanced out the garage window, studying Ziva as she pushed her salt-and-pepper hair under a bandanna while spading in the pristine little garden she kept every summer. He felt a swell of fierce attraction rush through him, watching his wife. "Until I got smart and realized your mom was the one. Never looked back after that."

Jack, finishing his beer, studied the way his father's eyes lit up whenever he spoke of Jack's mother. If she was in a room, his dad always wanted to be near her. Just because all their kids were now out of the house didn't mean those two weren't keeping busy in semi-retirement, Jack thought. He was certain their old bed springs still got a healthy workout each week. Jack knew this to be true because his little brother Danny, surprising their parents with a weekend visit from L.A., heard the proof upon entering their old house. And repaired to his Aunt Abby's house next door for comfort, solace, Caf-Pow! and a few games of "Grand Theft Auto." Aunt Abby always won. Uncle Tim had given up trying to beat the master.

"Think I'm gonna ask Gabrielle to move in with me," Jack said, looking down as he peeled the label from his beer bottle.

"She ready for that?" Tony liked Jeanne's daughter. She looked like her mother had as a young woman but was much more certain of herself. When Jack had told his parents that he was seeing Gabrielle, he'd expected some backlash from his dad. But Tony had told him only to be good to her. "Don't hurt her, son," was all he'd said. Jack swore he wouldn't.

"I'll find out... tonight," Jack tossed his bottle into the recycle bin, feeling more nervous than he had in a long time. Wiping his grease-stained hands on his faded, worn-out Levi's, he grinned devilishly at his father and, nodding in the direction of his mother and her garden, said with a wink, "Hey _Junior_ — wanna go play Poke The Ninja?"

* * *

"Have you told him yet? About..." The concern in Jeanne's voice was evident despite the thousands of miles between she and her eldest daughter. She didn't like the idea that Gabrielle was involved with Tony's son Jack worried her as much as it did, but she couldn't help it. Gabrielle tried to act strong and confident but was, deep down, somewhat fragile. Her younger sister Giselle, however, was a terror on wheels whose main concern was finding the next handsome, wealthy suitor. The girls were different as night and day.

"No," Gabrielle cut her mother short, feeling guilty at doing so but still not wanting to hear the words come from her mother's mouth. "No, Mamá. But... I will. I just wanted to see how we were together before..." She felt her throat tightening at the memory of what her mother alluded to. Forcing herself to regain control of her emotions, Gabrielle swallowed hard and continued, "I'm going to tell Jack tonight." A cold chill raced down her spine. This would be difficult. She'd never had to tell a man about it before. Because there hadn't been a man... since. Now there was.

"He'll understand, honey." Jeanne wished she could hold her daughter right then. She missed Gabrielle terribly; her tiny baby girl had grown into a lovely young woman. But Alberto's surgical practice had taken them to Africa again and they were doing good, much-needed work there. "Be honest with him. Don't keep anything from Jack."

"I won't," Gabrielle promised. And, allowing herself a moment of levity, she laughed, telling her mother, "I can't. He's too good of a detective."

* * *

Like clockwork, they arrived in the mail slots at the various apartments he'd lived in. It didn't matter where he moved; they followed — stalking him, taunting him.

As always, there was no return address. Not that he expected one. This time the postmark was from a city just outside of Detroit but he knew it was a ruse. In reality, his quarterly gift was coming from a nation, usually rogue, somewhere far across the globe. Tehran, maybe? Kandahar? If trouble was happening and the explosions were ripping apart innocents' lives, he could bet his missive actually started its journey from wherever misery was taking place.

Working overtime to regulate his breathing, he opened the envelope. His trembling fingers fumbled to unfold a piece of paper. But it was what the paper protected that he desperately wished to see.

In the last couple of photos, the handsome little boy with jet black hair, dusky olive skin and green eyes had smiled broadly as he clutched, in the various pictures, a teddy bear, a fake third-world pirated Nike baseball cap, a soccer ball.

In this one, he held an Uzi that was far too large for his tiny grasp. His green eyes were emotionless as he glared into the camera lens.

Jack's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't get air, seeing this. There would be the usual message on the back of the picture, needling him. He nearly dropped the picture in trying to turn it, his hands shook so much.

_"Kasim's first weapon -- taken from dead Mossad. A gift from 'father' Saif to 'son' on 5th birthday."_

_Damn her,_ Jack thought. The torture was never going to end. She'd sworn to never let him go all those years ago and she meant it. It was how she operated, thriving on destroying the lives of others to achieve her family's twisted goals. But they were forever linked and she relished her infinite opportunities to remind him of their time together, how she'd forced him to submit to her will in order to survive, to give her something of his that could never be taken from her — something uniquely joining them in a timeless fashion since she could never have him, body or soul, as she wanted him. He hated her. And her father would have them both killed if he found out about his only daughter's obsession with the American captive. While she found a sick joy in bringing death to others, she was terrified of facing it herself.

Then he looked at the paper, where the real message meant only for his eyes was written.

_"I dream of your touch every night, my devil. Our son is growing so handsome — like his father."_

* * *

All evening, Gaby had the sense that Jack was holding back from her.

When he'd invited her over the day before to listen to a vintage jazz album he'd picked up — Jack loved his records the way his father loved movies — he'd sounded upbeat, excited about something. She knew it couldn't possibly be the Sonny Rollins LP. Not even that would have him as over the moon as he'd been. She'd told him she'd come by when her ER shift ended that evening. He'd keep dinner — and, uh, everything else — nice and warm for her, he'd teased.

And so she'd worked hard to get out of the hospital on time for once, arriving at Jack's door in a slim-fitting milky dress that was sexy without being too provocative. Whatever he was planning, Gaby now felt the sense of excitement as well. Her mother's words nagged at her: _"Have you told him yet? Be honest with him. He'll understand."_

Her mother was right, of course. It was time to tell Jack what had happened to her... before. But did it have to be tonight? She'd told her mother that this would be the time. Looking down at her dress, though, and thinking of what Jack might have been planning — she didn't want to possibly ruin it all by telling him about ... that.

As it turned out, Gaby didn't feel much need to bring up any subject. Jack wasn't in a talking mood.

Greeting her with what felt like a distant, almost perfunctory kiss on the cheek, he seemed to be a thousand miles away, saying hardly anything as he put dinner on the table. Gaby tried easing the tension with a story about a boy who'd come into the ER earlier. He'd complained of stomach cramps and Gaby had finally gotten it out of him that he'd wanted to see what his dog's snacks tasted like. So he tried one, liked it and ate the whole box. The father's response? "Son, those were Sparky's treats!"

She'd thought Jack might perk up a little or at least smile but at the words "father" and "son," he'd looked strangely disconsolate and gotten up from the table without a word, having eaten nothing. Gaby's eyes followed him as he made his way to his vintage sofa, taking a seat. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and sighed heavily. She noticed that an unhealthy pallor had come over him. Maybe he was sick?

"Honey," she began, sliding in beside him, "are you okay?" Jack took another deep breath, his eyes still closed, and exhaled through his nose. "Jack, please talk to me," Gabrielle said, really worried.

"I, uh... I'm really sorry I wasted your evening, Doc," Jack finally said, his green eyes solemn as he studied her face. "I was gonna ask you about something but, uh..." He smirked slightly, shaking his head. "Yeah, it's just not gonna work out, so..."

"Well..." Gaby began slowly, wanting to choose her words carefully, "... you haven't asked me. Maybe it would work out... if you did." She rubbed his chest tenderly with her hand, hoping he'd respond positively. With Jack it could go either way.

For what seemed like an eternity he just stared at her, that probing green gaze of his peering right into her soul. She swallowed hard, her throat tight. _I'll have to tell him tonight,_ she thought, _because he'll know. He reads me. I can't hide anything from him._ Just as she couldn't hide anything from her mother, Gaby had found that she was unable to keep any kind of secrets from Jack. But she had. And it had been gnawing at her, the idea that she wasn't being truthful. Giselle could've pulled it off without a hitch and felt no regrets. She was a master at the malicious art of the lie.

"Move in with me, Gabrielle," Jack said softly. "Live with me, Doc." His hand brushed back the brown hair that framed her face and she trembled at his touch. "Please stay," he whispered.

The words stuck in her throat, choking her. What she wanted to say wouldn't come forth. What she had to say took the form of a strangled utterance, pushing up from a deep, dark area she thought she'd never have to reopen.

"I ... I can't," she sobbed, a wave of nausea and self-disgust overtaking her as hot tears clouded her vision.


	5. Heartbreak Warfare

Title: Heartbreak Warfare  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Old wounds are reopened for Jack and Gabrielle.

**-------------------- Heartbreak Warfare ---------------------**

He'd hoped Sarah would show up. Instead, he got Paul.

"Heh heh HEY!" Jack slurred, his speech thick from the liquor he'd been downing at the neighborhood bar around the corner from his apartment. "Shemper FI, Gunny!" He offered his brother-in-law a salute, trying to sit up straight. Paul wasn't amused. He just stared at Jack for a minute before taking a seat next to him at the bar, saying nothing.

Jack grinned drunkenly at the clean-cut Marine beside him. Flattening his unsteady hand, Jack ran it over the top of Paul's service-issue haircut.

"High 'n' tight," Jack noted thickly, doing his best to look as serious as Paul did at that moment. A case of the hiccups overtook him. "_Marine_," he finished, hiccuping as he finished his glass of liquor. Jack started to signal the bartender for another but Paul's hand shot out, grabbing his. Jack grimaced; Paul's grip was astonishingly strong for such a lean man.

"Enough, Jack." Paul's voice, usually near a whisper, always had the effect that other men did when shouting. When he spoke, which wasn't often, it meant something. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said anything.

"Hey, BRO!" Jack snapped angrily, trying to wrench his hand from Paul's grasp, "Leggo... Gesh your hands OFFA me!" Now Jack was just getting mad. Any good mood he'd had from his drinking was gone. He was itching for a fight.

"Sarah wants you to stay with us tonight," Paul said quietly, ignoring Jack's angry display. He loosened his grip on his brother-in-law's wrist, looking Jack straight in the eye. "So let's go."

"You can't..." Jack narrowed his eyes, trying to force them to focus on Paul, "... TELL me what to do! I'm... mmm... mmm... MAN!" Finally jerking his wrist from Paul's hold, Jack huddled over his empty liquor glass, pouting.

"Act like one," Paul replied, getting up from his barstool. He headed towards the door, not even asking Jack to come with him.

Paul was halfway down the street, turning the corner by the park, when he heard Jack's slurry voice imploring him to stop walking so damn fast and all over the sidewalk.

* * *

That Jack had told her to get the hell out of his apartment and stay the hell out of his life didn't surprise Gabrielle. She'd heard the words before — coming out of her own mouth.

The difference was in the result.

She'd left when Jack told her to.

Alex hadn't.

Not even when she'd wept and pleaded that entire weekend, begging him to.

* * *

"Ya even ask her why she said no?" Paul placed a cup of black coffee before Jack, who sniffed at it and retched. The only people who could drink Paul's coffee were Paul and Sarah.

"No," Jack said, feeling sick at the thought of what had happened earlier between Gaby and him. Also at the thought of Paul's coffee touching his lips. The stuff tasted like motor oil. "What's the point? Told her I wanted her to live with me, to move in — she said she couldn't. End of story." Jack took a sip of coffee and nearly heaved. _My sister LIKES this?_ he thought. _Good GOD._

Paul downed almost a cupful of his own coffee, eyeing Jack in that way of his that made Jack squirm. Another thing about the guy Sarah apparently loved.

"Didn't say she wouldn't move in," Paul noted. "Said she couldn't. Big difference." He finished his cup and poured himself another. Jack pushed his own cup away, unable to torture himself any longer.

"Yeah, well, I don't see it," Jack scoffed. "You think it was easy for me to ask her that, Gib? Hell, we've only been together a few months. It's the longest relationship I've ever had and..." He stopped, catching himself before he took the conversation to an area he didn't want to explore further. It was a part of his life he tried to avoid thinking — or talking — about. Paul and Sarah knew and they understood. But little, if anything, was ever said about it.

"Been a while," Paul said softly, not looking at Jack.

"Yep," Jack agreed, his voice barely a whisper.

* * *

Her father's response had been clinical. It was how he processed the horrors he was used to dealing with on a daily basis as a renowned surgeon in third world countries.

Her mother, however, had betrayed a side of herself that Gabrielle hadn't known existed. It must have been there all along, just below the surface, something Dr. Jeanne Benoit kept well-hidden from the global medical community that knew her as a brilliant M.D., the wife of Dr. Alberto Contador ("not the cyclist!" her father had to tell everyone).

As her Papá spoke in low tones outside Gabrielle's hospital room with the doctors treating her, her Mamá kept vigil at her eldest daughter's bedside. Swollen from the savage beatings she'd suffered throughout her three-day ordeal, Gaby couldn't speak or see. She could barely hear. The pain medicine kept her semi-conscious most of the time. The doctors hoped to examine her further. That she'd been brutally raped was evident; proving who had attacked her would become that much more difficult with each day's delay...

"If my _father_ were alive," her mother had said, bitterness and barely-contained fury seeping from her hushed voice, "that son of a bitch Alejandro would be _praying_ for death. Because it would be preferable to what... _Papá_ would have in store for him." Choking back tears, Jeanne pushed her daughter's hair away from the bandages covering her horribly bruised face. And then her mother said the words that Gabrielle could still hear sometimes in the darkest hours of the night. They haunted her.

_"I'd kill the bastard myself if I had one of Papá's guns."_

* * *

It was just Sarah's way to check on her baby brother whenever he stayed over at her house. She'd done it all her life. When Jack was a teenager, this habit had led to some awkward interruptions. More ammunition for Sarah to tease her Jack Jack.

And so, arriving home late after a lengthy intelligence meeting on base, Sarah peeked into the guest room. Paul had texted her that the package had arrived safely but she wanted to see for herself.

All that greeted her was a hastily-made bed. A scrawled note lay on the covers.

_"Sis -- Need to work it out with Gaby. Thanks for taking care of me. (Again.) Love you, Jack Jack"_

Sarah sighed. She wasn't surprised. When Jack wanted something, he was relentless in pursuing it. This time, she just hoped he'd know when to back off and let things happen instead of forcing the issue.

* * *

Luckily, Gabrielle had the night off. She couldn't have gone in for her shift in the ER if she'd had one. All of the old floodgates were open, painful memories coursing through her mind uncontrollably. Why had she thought she was over what Alex did to her? Because years had passed? Because she'd closed herself off to any man who was interested in her before Jack came along? Obviously she'd confused not being touched with having been healed. _Some doctor I am,_ she thought.

She knew the knock at the door. It was a distinct sound, one she'd gotten familiar with in the past few months. He had a key. But he wasn't using it. He wanted to see if she'd answer.

When she did, they stood staring uncomfortably at one another, each unsure of what to say. And there was lots to talk about.

"I miss you." His voice was husky, sounding as if it would break at any moment. She'd never heard him sound so emotional, so raw before. It chilled her. But it also touched her deeply, intimately. "I _love_ you, Gabrielle."

Taking him into her arms, she felt the tension leave his body as he held her against him, his breath hot in her ear as he begged her forgiveness. Her lips brushed his as she whispered yes over and over, knowing that she'd never been angry with this man who wanted only to please her, never to do her harm — this man who she now pledged her love to, wanting him to understand everything about her. And wanting also to know all the infinite details of his life, too.


	6. Perfectly Lonely

Title: Perfectly Lonely  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Jack and Gabrielle have more in common than they thought.

**-------------------- Perfectly Lonely ---------------------**

Her bed was large and comfortable and he always cherished any time spent in it. It was somewhere he'd become intimately familiar with, as relaxed sleeping in it as if he were in his own bed, and any invitation to join her in this simple luxury she relished didn't go unappreciated by him. The idea that her body touched these sheets night after night aroused him. He wanted to touch them, too — know what it was to sense her experiences.

They lay together in the bed that they both so enjoyed, naked and entwined, reveling in the feel of each other — skin on skin. They hadn't made love; maybe they would later when the moment felt right. But for now, they only needed to hold one another close. Just knowing that they were both there, wanting to take things farther and deeper, satisfied them. For the time being.

"I want to move in with you," Gaby whispered. She lay atop Jack, consciously pressing her breasts into the hair on his strong chest. It tickled her skin and she loved indulging herself in this small, guilty pleasure during their most intimate moments. Also, the act aroused Jack like nothing else, she'd discovered — something else she took a little thrill from.

"Then say yes," Jack whispered thickly into her ear, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. It, too, turned him on. He groaned low in his throat, the pain of needing her echoing through his every nerve.

"You don't know... about me," Gaby whispered back, so softly that Jack could hardly hear.

"Tell me." His words were tender and husky in her ear and she shivered, taking a deep breath before forcing out words she'd hoped to never speak to anyone ever again.

* * *

What girl wouldn't want a perfect marriage like the one her parents had?

Growing up, Gabrielle dreamed of being the sort of doctor her mother was — someone who had real empathy for those who were suffering and needed help — and she wanted to marry a man like her father, a handsome and strong, intelligent man who was kind to his patients, loving to his children and hopelessly, deeply in love with his wife.

Gaby never tired of hearing her mother's story of meeting the famous Dr. Alberto Contador in Gabon, bickering with him until she could stand no more and then, just before getting on a plane to exit his life forever, having the man she thought hated her tell her that he needed her in his life and to please give him another chance to prove himself to her. After that, they'd become close friends and eventually, they'd fallen in love, married and had their two girls.

Alejandro seemed to be a younger version of her father when she'd met him in medical school. A few years ahead of her, he was already fielding offers from hospitals back in his native Spain. Surgical positions awaited him. His dark, chiseled features and cheerful personality made him popular with all of the other medical students and the doctors instructing them.

Women took notice as well, something he'd laughed off when he and Gabrielle had gotten serious. Only you, he would murmur in Spanish as they made love in the aggressive way he enjoyed. Only you. She wished he would slow down sometimes. He always needed to be the one in control.

When they agreed to find an apartment together, she believed this was a sign that soon they would marry. He was, after all, making a commitment to her. They were moving in together.

Those dreams were shattered when one of her intern rotations was cancelled and she arrived home early to find Alex, as she called him, in their bed. Making love with a young surgical intern. The girl only snickered cruelly when Gaby walked in on them. Alex didn't bother to stop what he was doing. Gaby ran from the apartment in tears.

It was a Friday night. And she might have gone to a friend's to stay. But she was infuriated at the thought of Alex's cheating forcing her out of the apartment.

She decided it was _he_ who would have to leave.

That's what Gaby told him in no uncertain terms when he arrived "home" much later that night, having been out with his friends.

He wasn't in the mood to argue.

She remembered the shock of feeling his hand strike her face, so hard that she lost her breath before the hardwood floor rose suddenly to meet her chin. Before she could react, he was on top of her, his fists pummeling her face and ribs. Gaby tried to scream but the sounds wouldn't come. The feel of his powerful hands — the hands that performed such delicate life-saving procedures each day — around her throat was horrifying.

_Dying,_ she thought, unable to fully process what was happening to her. _Stop..._

Finally, she choked out one word: "Please..."

Alex looked down at her, the smile she'd once thought so dazzling now just wicked and hateful.

Well, he said, unbuttoning his shirt as he licked the sweat from the top of his lips, since she had so politely asked...

* * *

Once Gaby had finished the horrible story in gruesome detail, she stared into the darkness of her bedroom. It was out there now. Jack knew.

Her ex had beaten and repeatedly raped her over the course of a nightmarish weekend five years prior.

"Baby..." Jack had said, his voice gentle.

"Before you..." Gaby whispered, "I mean, after it happened..." She steadied her voice. "You're the only man I've been with since then, Jack."

He closed his eyes, hearing this. He'd known it the first night they were together. She'd tried to act bold, like she had plenty of experience, but he could tell she was afraid of being touched. He'd wanted to be tender that first time. It had started out like that. But his physical need for her overwhelmed him and before he could control it, he was consuming her as if he were dying of thirst. And he was.

"I didn't know... or I'd have... Listen, that first time..." he stammered, wanting to explain. She reached up to stroke his shoulder.

"Our first time," she sighed contentedly, "was amazing." Gaby shifted so she could look up at Jack. "Can I still move in with you?"

"There's something you should know about me, too," Jack said quietly. His green eyes were solemn and tired.

"I want to know," Gaby replied, nestling her head against his shoulder. "No secrets," she whispered.

Jack felt his heart race, his breathing turn shallow.

"I have a son," he said, drawing on every reserve of strength in his body to keep from breaking down in tears.

* * *

At 25, he was just out of his hotshot Probie years. Known around the D.C. NCIS office as Tony DiNozzo's kid, Ziva David's son. Just like his old man; nothing like his mother. Mouthy. A risk-taker. Great young agent but trouble. Good for the local cases but you wouldn't want to trust him with anything big — certainly nothing international.

The office chatter bugged the hell out of him. Jack's older sister, Sarah, was a decorated Marine. So was her husband Paul, also a Marine. Sniper — just like Gibbs, who Sarah had adored growing up. She was like their mother — thoughtful, always thinking ahead, cool under pressure. It's why she, at 26, was already being fast-tracked for an officer's commission in the Corps.

Their grandfather, Eli David, had seen Sarah's potential early. Their mother had been furious when, as a teenager, Sarah accepted Grandpa Eli's invitation to spend the summer in Israel. An excuse for him to give her Mossad training, their mom had said bitterly. Their father hadn't been happy either. But Sarah insisted. She wanted to see how it all worked and was proud of what their grandfather did for a living. Jack wasn't invited. It stung, overhearing his mother tell his father that Grandpa Eli had said the boy was more likely to blow himself to shreds than to master the art of doing so to the enemy.

_Damned if the old man wasn't right,_ Jack thought as the sweat dripped from every pore of his skin in the sweltering heat of the cell where he was being held captive in North Africa.

He'd begged to be the point man for this mission in southern Algeria, pestered his superiors at NCIS so much that they'd finally signed off on his going mainly to get him out of their hair. Didn't matter to him; this was his chance to prove that he was capable of handling a global case. And tracking down the noted Islamo-terrorist Jahangir Al-Safdar wouldn't be easy. But he'd managed it with the help of his Algerian contact, Saif.

What Jack hadn't counted on was the daughter.

Before he'd left for Algeria, Sarah had stopped by to remind him that she loved him and he was still her baby brother — blah blah blah — and she wanted to see him come back home in one piece. Besides, she teased, you know you don't want me sending Paul over there to save your ass. Jack snarled at this; his brother-in-law was like some kind of Superman. Gibbs Lite, Jack often joked.

But his sister had been deadly serious about one thing, because she knew it was Jack's Achilles Heel.

"Keep it in your pants, Jack Jack," she'd said, not kidding around at all. "Don't even tease one of those women. Ever. Not because you're feeling lonely or horny or for any reason. And for God's sake, don't sleep with one of them for information."

Kazima Al-Safdar wasn't just 'one of those women,' however. And the beautiful, alluring daughter of his enemy seemed like the perfect means by which to take down the father.

Jack seduced her relentlessly, not that she needed much prodding. Kazima enjoyed testing her father, pushing his buttons, and brazenly having sex with the handsome young American who'd recently arrived in the small town certainly got Jahangir's attention. Jack's cover was that he was a photojournalist, in Algeria to document the country's brave and noble people living in such difficult conditions. Kazima found this exciting, too. Secretly, she dreamed of going to America. Being one of those gorgeous supermodels on the New York City billboards, enjoying tremendous wealth and fame — Jack DiCenzo could make it happen for her.

Their "photo shoots" were something to make Playboy seem wholesome by comparison. She reveled in posing naked for him, just as she took complete pleasure in sexually gratifying him whenever, wherever and however possible, doing things to him that he'd never imagined a woman would. They certainly weren't the sort of acts he'd request; he wasn't that sort of man. But lust consumed him and he let Kazima's mouth explore him — everywhere, every night. She had a way of dominating him that no other woman had, using her skills in the bedroom to break him until he couldn't fight her. The sex was too intoxicating. He was hooked on it now, craving her body like a drug, feeling harsh withdrawal when she denied him (which never stood; she, too, felt the addiction). Late at night, when they were exhausted from taking each other to passionate extremes, Kazima quietly told Jack of her hatred for her father. He and the other men of their culture didn't see her the way Jack did. To them she was property, a baby factory. But she knew that to Jack, she was a goddess. My devil, she'd say as her tongue roamed his groin, you will be the death of me.

He listened, night after night, to her screeds in hopes that she'd surrender valuable information about her father's terrorism operation. And finally, after a day when she'd had it out with Jahangir over how his only daughter was "whoring herself out to the American," Kazima came through. Bitterly, she ranted about her father's "little gun-running games" and furiously dropped names, dates, locations as she screeched wildly at Jack to please help her escape from this desert hell and take her to America where she would be appreciated. Jack's mind was otherwise occupied; he was working overtime to memorize the intel that Kazima had just delivered so he could get it to Saif.

_It's not a weapon, Jack,_ Sarah had said, only half-kidding as she nodded downward towards his pants zipper. _Keep it holstered._

Why hadn't he listened to his sister?

Bound to a chair, gagged and bruised from the latest of the daily beatings issued him by his captors, Jack groaned as he thought of all the mistakes he'd made trying to go around the rules on this operation. Saif had betrayed him to Jahangir. And when Kazima had learned that the man who'd stolen her heart was using her for intelligence, that their lovemaking meant nothing to him, she changed right before Jack's eyes.

The dreams of New York City, America, modeling, wealth, all the things her father despised — abandoned.

Donning the black veil her father had been reserving for her — the veil her mother had worn all her life — Kazima now faced her former lover as her father's most trusted ally.

She would help him destroy the Americans like Jack and all of the things she once thought so precious about their Godless country.

Mostly, though, she would take her pleasure in seeing Jack slowly die — far from anything, and anyone, he had ever loved.

You will never escape me, she hissed through her veil, her black eyes the only part of her still visible to him.

For his loyalty, Saif would have Kazima's hand in marriage, Jahangir declared, and together they would honor Allah with many sons...

Pregnant yet? Jack would ask Kazima whenever she made one of her "visits" to his filthy, sweltering prison cell. She'd slap him brutally when he asked, bringing forth blood from his lips with one of the designer-label studded leather belts she'd kept from the days when her interests didn't go beyond the latest issue of Vogue or which Parisian fashion show was next scheduled and by which rising fashion star. Now the expensive accessory was her torture weapon of choice and she seemed to have saved it for use specifically on Jack.

Jahangir was noticeably angry; Saif wasn't getting the job done. Jack hadn't picked up much Arabic but he understood enough to know that his guards were joking about Saif's "lack of manhood" behind his back. They laughed at how Kazima would need to kidnap sons in order to fulfill her father's mandate for just one grandchild.

And so Jack wondered if his end had come the day his guards blindfolded him, shot him full of something narcotic that immediately disoriented him and carried him to a waiting auto of some kind. He remembered only that he was driven somewhere, stripped naked, given a hot bath and rubbed with oils and placed on what felt like a soft mattress. He was too dizzy from the drugs to process it all.

Waking somewhat from his semi-consciousness hours later, he found Kazima naked beside him on the bed in which he lay. The veil was gone; her black eyes, dark skin and black hair were fully exposed for him to see.

"Give me what I need," she whispered, her full lips caressing his neck as her tongue probed his skin, "and I will secure your release."

"Don't touch me," Jack growled. The thought of sex with her now made him physically ill.

"You will see your family again. You will be free." Kazima's black eyes met Jack's. Somehow, they shined.

"Sex?" Jack said sarcastically. "Fine. Let's get it over with. Been there, done you." He smirked, wanting her to know that she disgusted him.

What surprised him was the smile that greeted his words.

"That is what I have wanted from you in the _past_," she replied, running her hand over his chest. "But you know now that I need something... more... from you." She pressed the length of her body against Jack's. "_You_ will give me... what Saif _cannot_. Or you will stay here. And die."

He swallowed hard, feeling a cold sweat break out all over his body.

His freedom — his life — depended on fathering a baby with Kazima, a son.

She lay back on the bed, awaiting him.

"He will be so handsome," Kazima purred as Jack positioned himself atop her. Her black eyes gleamed as he entered her, knowing she would once again have Jack's body to herself this night until he was wholly spent; getting her pregnant would take, well, as long as was necessary — and she was in no hurry to let him out of her bed. Saif and her father were away on a mission. She might never experience Jack this way again. She would indulge herself in her former lover's bedroom prowess just once more. But her obsession with him would never really end. Of this she was sure.

She would conceive their child, be forever linked to him. The idea of being pregnant by him excited her. Jack groaned in misery, sickened at the sensation of her moistness enveloping him; it was difficult to stay aroused enough to perform the job he'd been forced into. "Just like you, my devil," Kazima gasped, clutching his shoulder as he worked deeper and harder inside her. They both knew when it happened, at dawn. She cried out triumphantly, as if she'd won a hard-fought battle. Exhausted, he lay panting atop her. Jack hadn't expected to be so proud that he'd just fathered a son.

* * *

"Have you ever seen him?" Gaby whispered, her lips against Jack's neck. Tears streamed down his face. She was close to tears, too, hearing him talk about his capture and torture.

"In pictures," Jack croaked, his voice raw with emotion. "She sends them about four times a year. Always got a message in there for me about what a great 'father' Saif is to 'his' son."

"How cruel," Gaby said. It was odd, feeling a sudden, surging hatred for a woman she'd never met and likely never would. Then, trying to lighten the dark mood in any way possible, she asked, "What's his name?"

"Kasim," Jack said softly. "It means 'divided' and... he is." Wiping away the tears he'd cried, remembering how the boy he loved but had never known came into being, Jack asked Gaby, "You wanna see a picture of him?"

"Of course," she answered, excited at the thought of seeing Jack's son. She felt a sudden longing to know this child, be close to him, offer him her love. And it felt completely natural.

Jack groaned slightly, leaning across the bed to find his jeans. From the back pocket he removed his well-worn leather wallet and from the wallet he took out a photo. It wasn't the picture of Kasim holding the Uzi. Instead, Jack showed Gabrielle the shot of his green-eyed, snaggletoothed son smiling broadly in the blazing sun of some faraway desert, happily clutching a soccer ball. She put her hand to her mouth, letting out a little gasp. He was gorgeous, with his black hair, olive skin and Jack's sparkling green eyes.

But having spent her summers from childhood to her early twenties in Gabon, something told Gabrielle that Kasim's winning smile covered for a hard life. With those green eyes, she was sure his Arabic 'father' knew the boy couldn't possibly be his. The grandfather, too. Looking at the photo, Gaby felt fear for Jack's son. She wondered if Kasim's 'family' knew Jack was half-Jewish. Jack was the spitting image of his father, Tony, but Ziva's blood ran through his veins as well.

"Is he okay? Safe, I mean?" Gaby hoped she wasn't overreaching, pressing. She and Jack had shared so much of themselves; she didn't want to upset him again. Gaby was still learning Jack's moods; he could be touchy if he felt cornered.

"I hope so," Jack sighed. "I never really know." Together, they looked dolefully at the grinning little boy in the photo. "I want him," Jack whispered. "I'm his father. I want my son. I want to love him. Here."

"I want you to," Gaby said quietly, hugging Jack from behind. She rested her chin on his shoulder, straddling him. "I want... us... to. I'd like to know him, Jack."

Jack grinned, the first real smile he'd offered all night. He closed his eyes, kissing the smooth inside skin of Gabrielle's slim upper arm.

"I want that, too," Jack replied in a husky voice.

They were silent for a while, studying Kasim's picture. He looked small and thin, his pirated soccer shirt at least a size too big for him. His black hair was windblown and needed cutting. He squinted into the sun.

"What you said before," Jack said softly at last, "about me... being the only man since... what happened to you." He took a deep breath. Gaby listened intently. "After Kazima... I couldn't..." Swallowing, he continued. "I felt dirty, like I couldn't get clean from... everything I let go on when I was with her. So I just... I shut down, y'know? My body, I just..."

Gabrielle realized what Jack was trying to say. It was difficult for him to admit. She understood and she didn't think him any less a man for having been abstinent. But she could tell he was ashamed for some reason. So she listened, saying nothing. He needed to tell her in his own way.

"I promised myself I'd wait — until I met the right girl... woman... before I let myself touch someone again." Jack's breathing was shallow; his nerves were raw. "That was you," he whispered. "I couldn't... before you. That's why our first time — I got so..."

"You were perfect," Gaby whispered, breathing in his scent as she nuzzled Jack's neck.

"I needed you," Jack admitted. "Couldn't hold back."

"I'm glad you didn't," Gaby moaned into his shoulder. She wanted to make love to him, soothe him, but wasn't sure if the time was right. He'd been devastated, talking about his son, and sex couldn't ease that sort of pain. She hoped to feel his muscles relax, know that the stress inside him was calming with her touch. But something told her that tonight, Jack needed only to be held — that the closeness of their bodies would be enough satisfaction. "Can I move in?" She hadn't forgotten the reason for the evening's intimate conversation.

"Doc..." he said, choking up. It touched him that she felt the need to ask. "Oh yeah... Yeah..." He turned to kiss her cheek, ecstatic that they'd be starting a life together at last.

"Lie down," she whispered tenderly, gently guiding him down onto the bed. He lay on his back as she once again fitted herself onto him, pressing into his chest in the way they both so enjoyed. The low moan in Jack's throat told her she'd made the right move and she closed her eyes, loving the feel of his skin, the knowledge that they were reunited not just physically but as soulmates giving her as much pleasure as she'd ever known.


	7. Battle Studies

Title: Battle Studies  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Gaby moves in just as Jack prepares for an unexpected trip.

**-------------------- Battle Studies ---------------------**

"We're not 'christening' your kitchen, Jack."

After nixing Jack's most recent suggestion that they take a break to "recharge their batteries," Gabrielle pulled her hair back into a ponytail, examining one of the boxes Jack had placed on his kitchen countertop. Opening it, she frowned, wondering how she'd incorporate her cooking utensils in with Jack's. Pulling open one of his counter drawers, she quickly found that it wouldn't be that difficult; Jack had a set of silverware, a couple of large stirring spoons, one or two carving knives, a large fork and tongs. That was it.

"But I waxed the floor last night," Jack said, wiping sweat from his brow. A suggestive little grin played at the corners of his mouth. "We could... you know... give it a good buff and polish. Make it shine." He licked his teeth with his tongue, eyeing the close-fitting white tanktop she wore.

Gaby rolled her eyes, not caring to dignify this with a response.

"How do you live like this?" She indicated the nearly-barren drawer. Jack glanced at it and shrugged.

"I don't cook." Realizing that Gaby wasn't going for the idea of making love in the kitchen, Jack headed for the refrigerator. Opening it, he peered inside at its contents.

"You cook," Gaby replied. "You've made me dinner lots of times."

"Sarah's recipes — freeze and heat. Nothing to it," Jack said, his mind now on which beer he should have. Buckeye Brew? Or Millstone, which was Paul's favorite? Maybe he should try the beer his brother Danny had left when he'd zipped into D.C. for a quick visit. Danny worked in the Los Angeles NCIS Special Ops office as a deep undercover agent. _What the hell is Izima Blue?_ Jack thought, frowning at the sleek blue bottles gleaming among the brown longnecks. Danny liked anything that was snazzy; he thought Jack's love of vintage '60s cars, jazz and modern furniture was too old-school. _I know you're named after James Bond,_ Danny joked, _but dude -- you ain't him._

"And _this_," Gabrielle said, pointing to the small brewhouse inside Jack's refrigerator, "is NOT healthy!"

"Lay off my four food groups, Doc," Jack growled, taking a cold Izima Blue to try. "Buckeye Brew, Millstone, this... Blue Brew and pizza." He smiled dreamily, thinking of how good a hot pizza would taste with his cold beer. Taking a swig of Danny's beer, he quickly gagged. "Want this Smurf Beer? It's some of that light stuff you chicks like. Water's got more kick." He made a "yuck" sound, sticking out his tongue.

Gaby crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"You chicks?" She raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to rephrase that?"

"Uh..." Jack tried to think fast. Moving In Day wasn't turning out like he'd planned. He'd figured they'd move some of Gaby's boxes into his apartment, unpack a few things of hers, fool around a little....

After a few moments' awkward silence between them, Jack finally spoke.

"I love you," he said huskily. He stared down at her, his green eyes soulful as they searched her face. He moved close, positioning himself to kiss her. He'd wanted to all day.

"Oh, PLEASE!" Gabrielle said, pushing him off playfully. With a laugh, she shook her head at his lame attempt to get out of trouble and said, "Smooth move, Ace. Help me unpack this mixer."

* * *

Their first night together in 'their' apartment also didn't go as Jack — or Gaby — had thought it would.

Initially, they tried to ignore the ringing phone but when the caller didn't, or wouldn't, hang up, Jack finally answered, panting "WHAT?!!!" as Gaby held him close against her, stroking his bare back.

Whatever Jack heard on the other end of the line made his body go cold and stiff. Gabrielle knew something was terribly wrong.

It was Paul. He was calling that night with news on the project he, Sarah and Jack had been working on for so long in secret.

Even Tony and Ziva didn't know about their little grandson's existence. The trio had sworn to keep Kasim's existence from them. Jack and Sarah knew their former NCIS Special Agent parents would come out of retirement to find the boy, risking their lives in the process. Their mother, particularly, would lay a path of destruction globally to bring any child of her son's home and away from a life of hardship. Just because she was older now didn't mean the Mossad assassin in her was any less deadly. Nor was their father any slouch at tracking down anyone he wanted to find.

Kasim was back in Kazima's hometown, where he'd been conceived and born. Word was that he'd been injured by shrapnel when one of Saif's test devices had misfired. Jack seethed with rage that Kazima would put his boy — _their_ boy — in such danger. He hated her. But she was still Kasim's mother. Didn't she care about their baby? He was only five. Barely five. He choked up, thinking of Kasim suffering so far away. _Damn you, Kazima, _Jack thought bitterly, fighting back tears. _That's our SON's life you're risking. Our baby boy._ The tears fell.

Knowing what had happened, he made a decision. One he'd considered for years but hadn't thought possible. Now he had enough information. Now he could make it come true.

"I'm gonna go get my son," Jack said to Gabrielle in the early hours of the morning as she lay beside him in what was now their shared bed, caressing his chest. "I'm bringing him home."

* * *

"I'm going with you," Gabrielle said, tossing her bag into the back of Jack's vintage 1968 Mustang.

"You're not," Jack argued, reaching back for the bag.

"I _am_," she insisted, slamming the Mustang's door as she slid onto the seat by Jack. "I spent my summers in Gabon up until I started med school. I _know_ Africa. Kasim needs a _good_ doctor. I can take care of him. He'll need it."

"You're a _great_ doctor, baby. And I _know_ you wanna help," Jack said, "But you're not going. It's not safe."

"It's not safe to cross the city streets, Jack, but I still do it. I'm not going to be scared off because of your... because of _her_. And besides — you don't speak French. I do. And Spanish." Gabrielle smirked. She hated sounding smug but he couldn't argue with her on this. She'd been trying to teach Jack French, which had resulted mostly in extended makeout sessions during which she murmured French as he comically called her "mon cheri" and "my leetle bon-bon."

"Okay, well, translate _this_, Doc: Ooo-yay oh-nay go-yay to Orth-Nay Africa-Ay. Got it?" Jack frowned as he started the car's ignition. Gabrielle was fuming. Nothing irritated her more than Jack not taking her seriously, especially when she was trying to get an important point across to him. He could be immature and thick-headed. But she loved him because that was just who he was sometimes. It came with the territory.

"You need to brush up on your Latin, but you've definitely got the _PIG_ part down," Gabrielle shot back. Jack snarled; he knew he was acting like a jerk and she'd nailed him for it. "I'll give you two choices... _Ace_," Gaby said defiantly. "Either I come with you? Or I show up later anyway — on my own. Without you to watch my every move. It's your call."

Jack clenched his jaw, frustrated with his girlfriend. She was stubborn, strong-willed, wouldn't take no for an answer. It was why he'd fallen in love with her.

"Algiers, here we come," Jack said, revving up the engine.


	8. All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye

Title: All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Jack and Gaby search for Kasim in Algeria.

**-------------------- All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye ---------------------**

He'd been restless ever since they'd landed in Algiers. Nothing could relax him — not the back massage she'd given him once they'd settled into their hotel room, not the impromptu lovemaking the massage had sparked, not the hot shower afterwards...

Jack now paced back and forth before the balcony window like a caged jungle cat, occasionally stopping to pull back the drapes and stare out into the night. Waiting to track down his injured son was driving him crazy. He was already impatient under the best of circumstances, Gabrielle had learned, and not being able to move out as he wanted — having to wait for daylight in order to meet Paul's contact — had made him edgy and tense. She wasn't sure what she should say to him, if anything.

And something had started nagging at her on the long plane ride over.

Were they right to do this? Take Kasim from his mother?

Were they kidnapping him?

She honestly wasn't sure. Going to Algeria to find Jack's son had seemed so right at the outset. But now she had doubts. Kazima might not be the best mother for the boy. Still, she was his mother. The situation was so complex...

"Jack?" Gabrielle sat on the bed, watching him stalk across the room. She wished he'd stop. It was unnerving.

"Huh?" Jack grunted, his back to Gaby as he stood at the window, moonlight silhouetting his strong frame.

Gaby took a deep breath before speaking. A touchy Jack, already tired from travel and anxious over his son's condition and whereabouts, would be ripe for an argument. Maybe she shouldn't ask.

"What?" Jack asked, turning to face her. "What _is_ it?" He was glowering, frustrated with the delays.

"What if..." Gaby swallowed hard. She wasn't afraid of Jack but she hated it when she hit a nerve with him. "What if Kasim... doesn't _want_ to come back... with us?" She paused, waiting for any response. Getting none, she cautiously continued. "Kazima _is_ his mother..."

Jack folded his arms defensively over his bare chest, glaring now at his girlfriend.

"You think I'm wrong? To come after him?" He narrowed his eyes at her. His voice was eerily quiet.

"I think... it's... complicated." She knew it was a weak reply, one that didn't answer his question, but she didn't honestly have an answer.

Jack clenched his jaw, furious with Gaby. He grabbed a t-shirt from a nearby chair and pulled it on.

"I need some air," he said in a soft, bitter tone.

"Jack, wait!" Gabrielle called, starting to get off the bed and follow him. "JACK!" But he'd already slammed the door, letting her know that she wasn't welcome to join him.

_Dammit,_ she thought as she lay back on the bed, fighting tears.

* * *

It happened so suddenly that she didn't have time to react. They'd broken into the hotel room as she slept.

Her mind screamed "NO" as the men held her down on the bed, turning her onto her stomach so they could tie her hands behind her back. She began to scream out loud but was quickly gagged with a thick cloth.

Was she going to be raped... again? The two men turned her again, roughly. They leered down at her.

She heard the doorknob clicking and turning. Her eyes darted in its direction. Her breath came in gasps, barely able to escape the cloth gag.

One of the men silently leapt from the bed, hiding behind the door. A shaft of light cut through the darkness in the room as the door opened.

"Gabrielle?"

The soft, apologetic sound of Jack's voice was cut short by the harsh crack of the gun butt against the back of his head. He grunted from the impact, then crumpled to the floor, completely unconscious. His attacker moved swiftly to tie Jack's hands behind his back, gag him and blindfold him. Gaby whimpered, seeing the man she loved so badly injured. Anger surged within her and she gnashed her teeth against the cloth gag. Jack needed her help; the blow he'd taken to the head was serious.

Just as the blindfold was slipped over her own eyes, she saw Jack being dragged away. His body was limp and a trickle of blood streamed from his nose.

She wondered if they would die together or separately as she was led from the hotel room and into what felt like a waiting van. Once she'd been pushed into the back of the vehicle, she felt Jack's still body lying next to her. Nestling against his side, she said a silent prayer for both of them. And for Kasim.

* * *

Maybe it had only been a couple of hours but it felt like an eternity. Everything was black, stuffy and terribly uncomfortable. The ropes used to bind Gabrielle's hands were cutting into her wrists; the cloth gag chafed at the sides of her mouth.

When she'd been wrenched from the vehicle, she'd felt strong, masculine hands pushing her along through what seemed like a maze of turns. Now she sat, somewhat slumped against a wall, in some sort of room. She'd heard a door shut heavily behind her.

She had no idea what they'd done with — or to —Jack.

Now the door creaked open. The meaty hands gripped her slim arms again, hoisting her to her feet. She was shoved towards... something.

_Walk!_ A man's voice barked at her in French. She stumbled, nearly tripping, unable to see through the thick blindfold. The man pushed her rudely.

After a series of turns, Gabrielle heard another door shut behind her. The meaty hands were gone. A lighter touch from behind removed her blindfold.

Jack lay semi-conscious, sprawled on the floor, low moaning sounds coming from deep in his throat every so often.

Beside him, a small boy with a slew of filthy, bloody bandages wrapped around his shin area sobbed in obvious pain. His green eyes were red from crying. The child seemed scared, cringing whenever he looked over at Jack. This was Kasim. And this was how he was meeting his father for the first time.

Gabrielle noticed her medical bag sitting between Jack and the boy. She felt the same soft hands that had taken away her blindfold now removing the binds from her wrists. She then felt the barrel of a gun pointed into the small of her back.

_Begin your work... Doctor,_ a woman's voice said in French.

* * *

Not since Alejandro had tried to strangle her had she fought so hard for air. But with the woman's gun now pointed directly at her forehead, seeing the woman's finger on the trigger as she worked to clean Kasim's leg wound, Gabrielle's lungs suddenly forgot their natural function. Still kneeling over Kasim, she slowly raised her eyes to her abductor.

_Please,_ Gabrielle said in French, _Please don't shoot. I'm just trying to help the boy._

The woman's eyes narrowed.

_You are with... this man, are you not?_ The woman nodded towards Jack. She knew exactly who Gaby was and why she was there. Kasim writhed in pain, the dirty bandages starting to unravel from where they'd been wrapped around his leg wound.

Gaby swallowed hard. Whatever she said next might be the last word she would ever speak.

_Yes,_ she said quietly.

_You have come to care for Kasim,_ the woman said.

_Yes,_ Gabrielle said, her eyes meeting the woman's. They shared a look for a few awkward seconds. Kasim began to sob; his leg throbbed from the shrapnel wound. The woman's eyes focused on Kasim's battered leg. Then she looked directly at Gabrielle again.

Gaby felt the cold metal of the gun shift against her forehead.

The woman brought the weapon to her side, pulling down her black veil so that Gabrielle could see her face. She was a gorgeous woman, her dark features captivating and noble. This, Gabrielle knew, was Kazima.

_Kasim needs your help. It hurts me to see him suffering like this. Whatever you think of me, you should know that I love my son. And I never wanted to put him in danger,_ Kazima said, putting down her weapon. Her voice began to quiver.

_I believe you,_ Gabrielle replied. _It can't have been easy for you, trying to protect him._ She could tell that whatever had once happened between Jack and Kazima, at this moment, Kazima was being completely honest. She wanted what was best for Kasim.

"I am sorry... for everything," Kazima said quietly, now having switched to English from French, kneeling down to address the semi-conscious Jack. He groaned in response. "Please forgive me. Please keep our son safe. I want to... but I cannot. I knew that you would one day come for him." She turned to Gaby. "I am also sorry for... this." Kazima's black eyes fixed on her sickly son. "Kasim needs medicine."

"How did you know we were here?" Gabrielle asked. She felt as if she could speak with Kazima now.

"I have my sources," Kazima answered. "I have always known how to find Jack." Gaby looked down. "But," Kazima added, "the time has come to put real distance between us. Too many years have passed. There is nothing left. Except our son."

Kazima's eyes lingered on Kasim as Gaby tended to his wound. She hid her face in her hands for a minute, then looked directly at Gaby.

"Take him," Kazima whispered to Gabrielle, nodding in Kasim's direction. "Raise him. For me. Please. You — and Jack — will not see me again." Kasim looked quizzically at the women, gritting his teeth through pain. He didn't understand the words his mother said, knowing only French and Arabic.

"I ... I will," Gabrielle promised. "I won't let him forget you."

"Thank you," Kazima replied, taking Gaby's hand in hers.

Kazima said a soft, final goodbye to her son in Arabic, kneeling to kiss him and stroke his hair. Kasim said something back quietly to his mother in Arabic and gave her a sweet hug. He began to cry, realizing that she was this time leaving him forever. Before her own tears started to fall, Kazima pulled her veil back to cover her lovely face, stood, looked at Kasim one last time and dashed off into the black of the desert night. She left her weapon behind, not even thinking of it as she ran sobbing from Kasim's view.

After administering pain medicine and antibiotics to Jack's brave little son, Gabrielle lay down between Jack and Kasim on the blanket. She held Kasim against her breast as he finally, fitfully fell asleep, the narcotics easing his pain and hastening his slumber. He was already exhausted. She also kept a concerned eye on Jack, who occasionally moaned as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Gaby worried about the blow to the head Jack had taken; she wasn't used to seeing him so still and quiet for such a long time. Even when he slept under normal circumstances, Jack kicked and snorted as if fighting rest.

When Jack finally regained consciousness, he groaned and nearly passed out again when he tried to sit up. Gabrielle assured him that everything was alright — he needed to save his strength. Jack relaxed at last, thankful that his girlfriend and his boy were alive and well. He was speechless when he realized that his son was sleeping next to him, close enough to touch. Kasim lay between Gaby and Jack, snoring softly, and they spoke no words, content to rest together silently in the small desert shelter side by side, keeping their tiny treasure warm and safe.

* * *

Paul's contact found them the next afternoon. He'd received word secretly from Kazima of the trio's whereabouts and had spent the day searching for them. Kazima assured him that no harm would come to any of them. But they should leave immediately.

Kasim clung to Gabrielle fiercely, unwilling to let Jack anywhere near him. He was afraid of the man he'd seen dragged in unconscious from the outside. Gaby patiently tried to explain to Kasim that Jack was her most special friend, a good man who had come to help Kasim. But Kasim wouldn't listen; in French, he told Gaby to keep the Sleeping Man away. Jack, still achy and bruised from his ordeal, was heartbroken. His boy wanted nothing to do with him. And Kasim didn't know that Jack was his father. How would he react when he learned the truth?

* * *

On the plane ride home, Kasim snuggled against Gabrielle's shoulder, only occasionally offering Jack a shy glance. The boy wasn't sure what to make of the handsome man who had eyes that looked just like his own. Whenever Jack smiled in his direction, Kasim hid his face quickly in Gaby's breast. Jack sighed; his son feared him.

Gabrielle cooed sweetly in French to Kasim and he whispered back, so softly that she had to strain to hear him. He clutched her tightly, scared to let go. She nuzzled his black hair. He was a gentle little soul, unfailingly polite whenever he spoke to her in his tiny voice. Unless spoken to first, Kasim wouldn't open his mouth. Gaby felt him tremble as she held him; it broke her heart.

_Should we sit next to the Sleeping Man?_ she whispered to Kasim in French. _He looks so lonely._

Kasim sneaked a look at Jack. He replied to Gaby's question with a furtive little whisper that she had to lean down to hear. What he said made her giggle. She answered in French, Jack hearing the words "Papá" and "lion" distinctly as the pair studied him. At last, Kasim giggled, too, hiding his face again. Jack had the feeling he was being talked about. Giving Gaby a wink, he nodded at Kasim. Gabrielle broke into a brilliant smile. Whispering in French once more to Kasim, who looked up at his father and grinned, Gaby motioned for Jack to come sit with them. He hesitated for a moment before slowly moving to sit so that Kasim was between he and Gabrielle.

"What's so funny?" Jack asked, wanting to know how he factored into whatever little in-joke was going on between his son and his girlfriend. Kasim's green eyes sparkled as he studied his father. Jack longed to touch his son, hold him as Gaby had been. He'd been waiting years; he could hold out for a while more until Kasim was ready.

"Kasim says," Gabrielle began, a huge smile spreading across her face, "that his Papá is a hairy lion." Her eyes focused on Jack's shirt, unbuttoned just enough to show his chest hair. He looked down, raised an eyebrow playfully, saw Kasim giggle and had to laugh. "I told him I agree," Gaby said, kissing Kasim on the top of his tousled head. The boy giggled with joy. "He asked if he'll be a hairy lion one day, too." Kasim, who seemed to know that Gabrielle was explaining their little joke, pulled out his own shirt collar and looked down at his bare chest. Then he grinned up at Jack. He was still getting used to the idea of the American being his real father.

Jack's thoughts flashed back to his own childhood, when he and Sarah would play. She was Tony The Tiger's daughter, TigerSarah, and she wanted to play Zoo. But Jack was a boy and Zoo was too tame for him. He liked playing Jungle. And he wanted to be the biggest animal of all. So he pretended he was Hairy Lion, their big stuffed toy, and with their young dog Shep he'd prowl among Sarah's Zoo for unsuspecting victims, roaring like a little beast all the while. Jenny Giraffe, Tony The Tiger's wife, was Hairy Lion Jack's favorite prey and when he was two, he'd tried to feed her to Shep. His best friend was hungry and if lions found giraffes tasty, dogs probably did, too. TigerSarah wasn't amused and Hairy Lion Jack ended up crying in his mother's arms when his big sister showed him why lions might be king of the jungle but tigers were just plain fierce.

"Tell him he's right," Jack said, his hand shaking as he gently stroked his son's thin arm. "His Papá definitely is a hairy lion. But let him know I'm a _nice_ hairy lion, OK?" Kasim, feeling Jack's touch, turned to his father. At first he just stared at Jack. Then, slowly, he turned to embrace him, tightly hugging Jack as he rested his little head against his father's chest. Jack took in a ragged breath, overcome with emotion. Gaby couldn't keep tears from welling up in her eyes and then spilling down her cheeks at the sight of Kasim and Jack holding each other. "Son..." Jack said huskily, unsure if Kasim understood him. "Baby... Kasim..." At the sound of his name, Kasim said "Papá" and pressed his face against Jack's chest.

"How..." Jack's voice broke and he worked to steady it. "How did he know? About me?"

Gaby whispered a question to Kasim in French. He softly replied with a lengthy answer, sighing, and studied Jack curiously.

"His mother told him — to smile into the camera so his American Papá could see how handsome he was." Gaby wiped back tears. She felt for Kazima at this moment. "He says his grandfather made him hold the gun and it scared him." She laughed, remembering Kasim's response, and continued, "He wanted an American football, not a gun."

Jack broke down then, the sobs coming from deep in his throat. He didn't want to scare his boy but he couldn't keep his emotions inside any longer. Gabrielle embraced both Kasim and Jack, wanting to comfort them both. Kasim whispered to her in French. She responded in a whisper, kissing the sweet little boy.

"He asked me why you're crying," Gaby told Jack, who was trying to regain control. "I told him it's because you're so happy to be his Papá and to have him with you." Jack hastily brushed away his tears, kissing Kasim on the top of his head. "He says he's happy, too," Gaby went on, needing a minute to keep from breaking into tears, "and that he loves you. He loves... _us_."

_I love you,_ Jack said in French to his son, who hugged him even more tightly. _Oh, I love you._ Gabrielle wiped her own tears, touched that Jack had learned some French from her after all and was putting it to good use. _And I love you, too,_ he whispered to Gaby.

_I love you, too,_ Kasim said to Gabrielle, not wishing to be left out. His green eyes, like Jack's, seemed to peer into the deepest reaches of her soul. Gaby cradled him to her, peppering his forehead with little kisses.

_You are my precious baby,_ she told Kasim, _and I love you with all my heart._


	9. War Of My Life

Title: War Of My Life  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Tony and Ziva learn that they have a grandson.

**-------------------- War Of My Life ---------------------**

In his usual polite way, Kasim asked Gaby if she and his Papá would be leaving him now in his new home. His green eyes were wide, somewhat with fear but partially with curiosity, as he looked around his room. There was a television set; the walls were brightly-painted; and the bed was the most comfortable he'd ever slept on in his five years.

_I love you,_ Gaby thought as she stroked Kasim's bushy black hair. Kissing him tenderly on his forehead, she smiled brightly at him before taking him in her arms for a hug. He giggled.

No, she told him in the French they both understood, this was only the hospital and he'd be staying just for a night or two. Then she and his Papá would take him to the home where he would live forever — with them.

* * *

"Where is he?"

Ziva's dark brown eyes were puffy, Sarah noticed. Her mother had been crying.

"Mom..." Sarah began, knowing what was coming next. She looked to her father, who stood beside his wife, for backup but this time he merely crossed his arms and stared at his daughter. He, too, was unhappy. Sarah took a breath and said, "He's down the hall in Room 7483. But he's sleeping. They just gave him pain medicine and it was a long trip over. Listen, let me explain why..."

"When I say 'he'..." Ziva said all too quietly to Sarah, "... I mean your brother."

"On your six, Mom," Jack answered from over Ziva's shoulder. He'd always been the only one in the family besides Gibbs who could sneak up on his mother unnoticed.

* * *

"You KEPT our grandson from us!" Ziva worked to keep her voice down but the fury in her tone was unmistakable. Tony simply glared at his son.

"I didn't have a CHOICE! Kazima kept HIM from ME!" Jack snapped, also trying to stay calm. He wanted to show due respect for his mother, who he loved so much, but was getting angry. "Hell, Mom, I didn't know where he was _myself!_"

"Dammit, Jack," Tony said, "We KNOW people. We coulda helped you FIND him -- and it wouldn't have taken so _long_, son!"

"Aw, you don't _know_ that, Dad!" Jack was now frustrated with both his parents. He just wanted to be with Kasim at the moment, not explain himself or his actions. "We're gonna have to talk about this later," he said in a low, bitter tone. "My son _needs_ me right now, OK?" With that, he stalked off towards Kasim's room.

Tony slowly wrapped his arms around Ziva. He knew that, no matter how hard she'd try to keep them inside, the tears would come quickly. Someone had to be strong and this time it was his turn.

* * *

Tony and Ziva stared at the row of incubators in the NICU. Had it really been 30 years since Jack was one of the tiny premature babies fighting for life in that same room? Things were much different now. The medical equipment was so far advanced. Their boy, once so small that Tony compared him to a little sack of sugar, was now a tall, handsome, strong and healthy young man. And, they had learned, himself the father of a son.

"I was wrong," Ziva said softly, "to get angry with Jack." She sighed, holding Tony more closely against her. "I only want us to know our grandson, Tony. I want us to have... enough _time_ with him." Ziva had lost her brother and sister as a young woman; it still pained her.

"Me, too," Tony whispered, nuzzling his wife's neck. "We'll have plenty of time with him. We'll work it out with Jack, Sweet Cheeks, you know that. He's just stubborn — know-it-all kinda kid. Like some other guy I used to know back in our NCIS days." Ziva chuckled.

"That he is," she agreed. "He is his father's son."

* * *

Gaby woke to see Jack sitting at Kasim's bedside. He looked exhausted, haggard from not having slept since Kasim had been admitted to the hospital for treatment on his leg. Jack wasn't eating much, despite Gabrielle's attempts to make him keep up his strength. All his energy was going towards keeping vigil in Kasim's room. He hadn't shaved since they'd arrived in Algiers and what had once been stubble on his chin and cheeks was now rapidly turning into a prickly beard.

"Go back to sleep," Jack whispered, noticing Gaby stir in the reclining chair she'd been resting in.

"No, I'm okay," she whispered back, yawning briefly as she stretched her arms above her head. "Here. Come take a nap. I'll watch him." Gaby moved to let Jack have the recliner but he shook his head.

"I'm not tired," he said, so softly she could barely hear him. Carefully, Jack stroked Kasim's hair, watching his son's eyelids flutter as he slept.

Jack needed the rest, Gabrielle knew, but she didn't want to press him. So she sat back and studied him as he held his boy's little hand, tenderly kissing it every so often throughout the night.


	10. Assassin

Title: Assassin  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Someone in the DiNozzo family suffers a health emergency.

**-------------------- Assassin ---------------------**

Gabrielle wasn't sure when she'd fallen asleep again or for how long. But when she awoke in the recliner near Kasim's hospital bed, she didn't see Jack. He'd been sitting right at his son's bedside throughout the night, watching his boy like a hawk to make sure Kasim wasn't in pain. And now he was... gone.

_Maybe he finally took a little break,_ Gaby thought, yawning. The first rays of the sun were just coming through the windows. _Maybe he went to get coffee,_ she thought.

Kasim lay soundly sleeping. He needed all the rest he could get. But, Gabrielle knew, so did Jack — and he hadn't been resting at all.

Getting up from the recliner, Gaby nearly fell, stumbling over something in the pale light of the room as she started towards Kasim's bedside. Looking down drowsily, it took her a minute to process what she saw.

Jack lay sprawled on the floor beside the bed.

Unconscious.

* * *

Tony, Ziva, Sarah and Paul saw a throng of doctors and nurses running in the direction of Kasim's room. Ziva stood, knowing something wasn't right.

"Tony..." she said, barely audible to her family. Tony now rose as well. Sarah and Paul did the same.

They were all able to clearly see Gabrielle and the team of doctors and nurses rushing Jack past them on a stretcher, an oxygen mask on his face, as Gaby yelled out his vital signs.

* * *

For this, Gabrielle blamed herself.

He'd been knocked out the first time she'd "met" him, brought into the ER for her to treat after being hit by a taxi while crossing the street. He'd been unconscious for hours then.

And now, here they were. Back in the ER, with her monitoring Jack as he lay splayed on a stretcher, his head swathed in bandages, completely unaware of anything going on around him. Somehow they'd managed to come full circle from doctor and patient to lovers to doctor and patient again.

The first blow to his head had been serious enough. The second, from the kidnapper's gun butt in Algiers, had exacerbated the damage already done. It had just taken time to fully manifest itself. Why hadn't she forced him to rest? Why hadn't she examined him? What had she been thinking?

Ultimately, that's what she always came back to — that she hadn't been thinking. Not really.

She'd let her love for him blind her to doing what was best for him as a doctor. So, yes, this was absolutely on her.

* * *

With Tony, Ziva, Sarah and Paul each taking turns sitting at Jack's bedside, Gaby began to feel as if she were in the way. She was only Jack's girlfriend and, after all, his real family was there for him. So she quietly exited the small ER room, even though it wasn't what she truly wanted to do. Gaby wanted to stay with Jack until he regained consciousness. He hadn't moved at all, which worried her.

As she stood just down the hall from where Jack lay, trying to calm herself, she remembered that someone else needed care: Kasim.

When Gaby entered Kasim's room, she found one of the Pediatrics ward nurses comforting the boy. He was sobbing, clearly not understanding why he'd been left all alone. Gabrielle quietly thanked the nurse, took her place sitting on Kasim's bed and, cradling him in her arms, assured him that everything was okay.

_Papá..._ Kasim sobbed in French, his breath coming in harsh little gasps, _Where is Papá?_

Gabrielle swallowed hard, considering how to explain what had happened to Jack. She didn't want to further upset Kasim. He needed rest in order to recover from his own injuries.

_Your Papá is sick right now,_ Gaby admitted, _but I'm making sure he's going to get well quickly so he can come back to you. Papá will be alright, Kasim. I promise._

_He is sick?_ Kasim asked, sniffling. _What is wrong with Papá?_

_Sometimes,_ Gabrielle began, _people feel like they must sleep for a long time, even if they really don't want to. Papá is sleeping like that right now. I'm trying to wake him up._

_I want Papá to wake up. I miss him,_ Kasim said, tears coming back into his green eyes. He hugged Gaby tighter against him. She kissed his forehead, rubbing her cheek against his dusky skin. Kasim looked up at her, his eyes wide with fear. _Will you leave too? Are you sick?_

_No, angel,_ Gaby said, hugging Kasim. _I'm not sick at all. And I won't leave you. Papá and I love you and we're never going to let anything bad happen to you, okay?_

Kasim nodded that he understood. He and Gaby lay down against the pillows in the little hospital bed and, within minutes, were both soundly sleeping. A pair of dark brown eyes watched them from the doorway, taking in every detail of the boy's face, his black hair, how he snored ever so slightly as he slept.


	11. Do You Know Me

Title: Do You Know Me  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Eyes are watching Gaby and Kasim.

**-------------------- Do You Know Me ---------------------**

Gabrielle awoke with a start. Instinctively, she knew that she and Kasim were not alone in the boy's hospital room. As her pale eyes tried to focus on her surroundings, she found it difficult to make sense of any shapes around her. Night had fallen; everything was now dark.

"Who's there?" Gaby asked, wrapping an arm as protectively as possible around Kasim. Still dazed from having drifted into a deep sleep earlier in the afternoon, she was confused. When she'd come to check on Kasim it had been midday.

"It is me," a woman's voice said softly. The accent was unmistakable. "I have come to see Kasim. And you."

* * *

Tony held his oldest son's hand in the small ER room. Sarah and Paul had stepped out for a quick supper and they'd wanted Tony to join them but he wouldn't leave Jack, who remained unconscious. His normally boisterous son lay all too still and quiet, breathing softly, his head swathed in bandages. It was killing Tony to think that the last words he and Ziva had with Jack were spoken in anger.

"I love you, son," Tony whispered to Jack, stroking his son's hand. His voice began to break, emotion overtaking him. "Your mother and I love you so much, Jack."

It was brief and weak, but it was there. Jack's hand moved slightly, squeezing his father's just enough to let Tony know he'd heard him.

* * *

"How long have you been here?" Gabrielle asked, trying to stifle a little yawn. She now realized just how exhausting the trip to Algeria had been. And she was still feeling the effects; there had been no real let-up to the stress since they'd arrived home with Kasim. Jack's presence had helped but now...

_Jack,_ she thought, taking a sudden, sharp breath. Gaby sat up straight, feeling a cold chill. She'd been gone for longer than she'd planned. She didn't know how he was, if he was awake or if something else had happened...

"Off and on, for a few hours," the soft voice said. "You needed your rest. As does Kasim. You have been handling more than your share of difficulties lately, Gabrielle. I admire you."

Gaby felt as if she would break down right then. She was truly worn out. Kasim stirred beside her and she forced herself to stay strong.

"Jack," Gabrielle said. "How is he? I should be with him, too. But Kasim..."

"May I stay with Kasim? While you go to Jack?" The voice was so tender and polite. "I won't upset him in any way. You have my word that I will not. I only want to ... spend time with him."

Now the tears came to Gaby's eyes and she carefully rose from Kasim's bed to embrace the woman who'd been speaking.

"Oh... Of course," Gabrielle whispered, hugging the woman tightly. She allowed herself to cry, sobbing quietly as the woman held her as if she were a child. After a short time, Gaby sniffled, wiping her eyes, and said, smiling sweetly, "You could never upset Kasim. He's going to need his grandmother. And he's going to love you so much."

Embracing once more, Ziva told Gabrielle to take good care of Jack. Kasim, now awake, asked Gaby in French what was wrong. Nothing, darling, she told him, escorting Ziva to his bedside. She switched on the light over his bed and the small, black-haired boy's green eyes met Ziva's brown eyes for the first time. He stared at her for a few seconds before smiling politely.

Gabrielle sat on the bed and explained in French to Kasim that she was going to see if his Papá was awake.

This is your Mamá Ziva, she told Kasim, and she will stay with you until I come back to you. She is your Papá's mother and she loves you as much as Papá and I do.

Hearing this, Kasim flashed a dazzling smile at Ziva. It reminded her of Jack's own smile as a small boy and she brought her hand to her mouth, choking back a sob. She loved this boy; she loved her son. They both were injured and needed her. And she was so grateful that Gaby had come into Jack's life. Now there was someone to help care for her precious boy — and her grandson.

Does she speak French? Kasim asked. He was afraid his grandmother wouldn't be able to understand him. It made him sad that he couldn't yet talk to his Papá as he wanted. Kasim wanted to tell his Papá about what a good football player he was and ask lots of questions about American football.

I do, Ziva said in the language in question. Kasim giggled. Gaby smiled. Things were going to be okay, at least on this end.

And Arabic! Ziva added in Kasim's other language. His green eyes went wide with surprise. Finally, someone could speak the language his mother had most often used!

I'm going to Papá now, Gaby said in French to Kasim, but I think you and your Mamá Ziva will have lots to talk about — in French or Arabic. Kissing Kasim on the cheek, she tousled his hair, hugged him, told him that she loved him and quietly made her exit, telling Ziva that she would get word to her immediately about Jack's condition. The women embraced once more and Gaby left the room.

Ziva gingerly sat on the edge of Kasim's bed, her brown eyes lovingly studying her little grandson as he smiled back at her. Kasim sat up, patting the empty space in the bed where Gaby had been sleeping.

Mamá Ziva? he asked sweetly in Arabic as Ziva lay down beside him, Do you like football? I play football.

Your Mamá Ziva, she answered in Arabic, loving the sound of those two words coming from Kasim's lips, loves football, my little dumpling. Now... tell me all about how you play football.

Kasim hugged his grandmother, nestling his head against her shoulder, as he quite seriously talked about why he liked kicking the football much more than trying to hit it with his head, which made his head hurt. But, he sighed, that was how you had to catch a football even though he didn't understand why. Was it true that in American football you caught the ball with your hands? Ziva said that in all the many Ohio State games his Papá Tony — that was her husband, Papá's Papá, who Kasim would later meet — had made her watch on TV for years, the men did catch the ball with their hands instead of their heads. When Kasim asked what an Ohio State was, Ziva assured him with a gentle laugh that he would most certainly find out soon enough.


	12. Friends, Lovers Or Nothing

Title: Friends, Lovers Or Nothing  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: What does the future hold for Jack, Gaby and Kasim?

**-------------------- Friends, Lovers Or Nothing ---------------------**

Rushing down to the ER, Gaby nearly knocked over Sarah, who was making her own way hastily out of the ward. The two caught hold of each other to keep from falling.

"Jack..." Gabrielle said breathlessly, "Is he...?"

Sarah smiled and gave Gaby a huge hug.

"My little baby brother's back! Jack's awake," she said, tears coursing down her cheeks. "And he's asking for you. And Kasim. And Mom."

* * *

The reunion was happy for Jack, reminding him of when he'd met Gaby initially. ("You know, the first time I got my brains scrambled," he joked, trying to coax a smile out of his girlfriend. Gabrielle, however, didn't laugh.)

But Gaby privately wondered if she hadn't brought all of this about. Jack wouldn't have taken that walk in Algiers to get away from her if they'd never started seeing each other. She'd insisted on going with him, even when he'd said it would be too dangerous. He was right; she should have left him to his mission. Having her along made him vulnerable. If she hadn't been there, he'd have been ready for those men. Maybe those men would never have attacked him. Kazima sent them, mainly, to kidnap her; she was the doctor who could help Kasim. And Kazima had wanted Gaby to care for her son.

Jack was back to his old self, laughing and joking with his family. He'd finagled it so that his bed could be moved into Kasim's room. Sarah teased that he was definitely the biggest kid on the Pediatrics ward. Kasim was beside himself with joy that he and his father were roommates. Together, they pulled little pranks on the nurses and had more than once ordered out for pizza, which Kasim had quickly come to love. The nurses were not amused.

And Jack, Tony and Ziva were once again as close as ever. All was forgiven; Jack was thrilled at how Kasim so quickly embraced his grandparents. Tony and Kasim spent quality time together looking over the Ohio State gear catalog, picking out everything Kasim would need to get started as a new Buckeyes fan — sweatshirts, sweatpants, shorts, t-shirts, baseball caps, jackets, wool caps, football jerseys. But no Buckeye Brew — yet, Jack joked to Tony. Ziva was excited that Kasim wanted to see her garden. As a boy, Jack had taken pleasure in using his mother's carefully-tended plants as hiding places when he played Jungle with Shep. But Kasim quite seriously asked his grandmother if he could help make things green. He hadn't seen many green plants before, just sand and hard dirt. Could he play football in a green yard better than on dirt? Ziva said she was anxious to see him give it a try and she needed someone with a green thumb to help her with her garden. Kasim looked at his thumbs and frowned, confused. They weren't green. Maybe they would turn green in the garden.

"You okay?" Sarah's question momentarily startled Gaby, who'd been lost in her own thoughts. "We're worried about you, too, you know. We don't need the family doctor falling out on us." Sarah put an arm around Gaby's slim shoulders, giving her a little hug. She and Paul had, between the two of them, been amazed at how Gabrielle had managed to handle all the stress suddenly thrown her way — a somewhat new relationship, moving in with Jack, taking the news about Kasim so well and becoming, in essence, his new mother so quickly and dealing with Jack's condition. Plucky as Sarah was, she admitted to Paul that she wasn't sure she could have stood it all as Gaby had. Paul told her he'd still put his money on her in any battle.

"I'm... I'm fine," Gaby said quietly, knowing it wasn't true. She was glad that Jack and Kasim were on the mend and that the family was solid now and strong.

She just wasn't sure that she really fit into Jack's world. Or Kasim's. And after what had happened in Algiers, Gaby doubted that she was good for Jack and his son — even if she was family, as Sarah had said.

She'd wanted to bring them comfort, security, love, peace. Instead, she'd so far given Jack and Kasim only danger, injury and worry.

They deserved much better, she told herself.

* * *

While Kasim continued recuperating, Jack agreed that it might be best if he stayed with Tony and Ziva until he was fully recovered from his leg wound. His grandparents had the time to care for him without interruption and, Jack reasoned, his son could learn more English in the process. He longed to communicate with Kasim instead of speaking the few French phrases he knew or having Gabrielle act as translator. But just in case, Jack was working to hone his French skills; whatever it took, he was determined to be a great father to his boy. He didn't want to miss anything with Kasim now that his son was finally with him.

Also, since he was on a month's medical leave from NCIS because of his head injury, Jack had time to get the spare room in his apartment ready for Kasim. The first thing he bought for his son was the American football Kasim had been dreaming of. Soon, a huge package of Ohio State clothing arrived via mail for Kasim from Tony. Ziva brought over some of Jack's old childhood toys, including the first toy he'd ever gotten — his "Moo," Stitches The Cow, picked especially for him by Sarah from her own Zoo; and Blackie The Bull, who Sarah claimed was Stitches' boyfriend but who Little Jack protested was just a "mean boy bull" who didn't like girls because they were icky. Thinking about how differently he and Sarah saw the world as children, and how they never played the same way as a result, made Jack smile. Jack liked to play rough as a boy and hated it when his big sister smothered him with kisses and hugs; Sarah was kind to her toys and loved to shower her baby brother with affection. How would Kasim treat his baby brothers and sisters someday? Jack wondered. The truth was, he already knew: He'd be good to them like Sarah. But Kasim, like Jack, was a sporty sort so there would be plenty of football and tackling for sure.

A grin crossed Jack's face when he thought of having babies with Gaby. He liked the idea of being her husband, seeing her through pregnancies and childbirths and, as their children grew older, someday enjoying time with their own future grandchildren.

_I want to marry you, Doc,_ Jack thought, hugging his Moo — soon to be Kasim's — to his chest. _But how do I ask you so you'll say yes?_

* * *

Gaby's attending physician in the ER had given her a long weekend and, having spent the day with Kasim at his grandparents', she arrived home feeling even more torn about staying with Jack than she had before. She loved him. She loved Kasim. And she wanted to stay with them both. But not if she was going to create problems for them. Also, maybe she really was in the way. They needed time to bond as father and son. Wasn't she a distraction?

Sighing, she entered the apartment. Moving in with Jack had made her the happiest she'd been in years. Now everything felt so wrong.

Jazz music from Jack's record collection greeted her softly as she opened the door. Candlelight illuminated the room. Gaby smelled... food cooking. And that _never_ happened unless she was the one in the kitchen.

"Jack?" she called out, putting down her purse. In the dim light, it was hard to see but he had to be around somewhere. "Where are you? What..."

He appeared in the hallway entry, leaning against the wall, wearing a maroon dress shirt she'd bought him along with some expensive blue jeans and a thick brown belt. Jack could pull off the dressy casual look like no other man Gaby had ever known.

"Welcome home, Doc," Jack said in a soft tone that oozed sexiness. Gabrielle shuddered, knowing that when he spoke to her like this the rest of the night was usually spent making love heatedly between tangled sheets in their bed.

"Hey..." Gaby said somewhat nervously. "I, um... I was just at your parents'. Kasim looks great. He's, um... he's saying he's tired of being in the house." She didn't want to lead Jack on tonight, give him the idea that things were back to normal when they might not be. Laughing uncomfortably, she continued, "He is SO ready to play football with you — American football. He and your dad were both in matching Ohio State t-shirts. It was really cute."

"Yeah, that's Dad," Jack agreed, his green eyes fixed on Gaby. He could tell something was bothering her. Maybe he was pushing things too quickly with the music, the candles, dinner... But he just wanted to spend a romantic evening with her.

He'd missed being alone with Gaby, simply having a chance to hold her close and hear about the things that were important to her. And he wanted to tell her how sorry he was for getting upset with her in their Algiers hotel room and walking out. The sight of her bound and gagged for even that split second, with the man holding her down on the bed — the image had horrified him and it was seared into his memory. It was the last thing he'd seen before being attacked and, as he drifted in and out of consciousness, he had visions of Gaby being tortured as he had once been. Sometimes, his nightmares of what might have occurred during their separation had been much worse. She hadn't told him what, if anything, the men had done to her. Jack vowed to himself that if they had touched her in any way, he'd hunt them down and kill them. He'd never again let another man violate Gabrielle. But he felt that in Algiers he had, even if she hadn't been raped. He hadn't protected her. He'd acted immature and left her vulnerable, alone.

If anything had happened to her at the hands of the men, it was his fault. And he'd been feeling guilty ever since he'd awakened to find her with Kasim.

He was her boyfriend. He wanted to be her husband. His job was to keep her safe. He'd failed.

Tonight, though, Jack hoped to make everything right, apologize, pledge to Gabrielle that he was a new man — a man who was ready to be a father to his son... and a husband to her, if she would have him.


	13. Say Yes

Title: Say Yes  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Gaby gives Jack his answer.

**-------------------- Say Yes ---------------------**

Dinner was quiet, with neither Jack nor Gabrielle saying much. Both seemed unusually apprehensive in the other's presence. The night felt more like a first date that wasn't going well than a romantic evening set aside for a couple eager to enjoy some long-awaited time alone.

Finally, Jack broke the silence. He'd been wanting to say something all night and, after silently searching for the right phrase, he opted to just come out with it and take his chances.

"Gaby, I'm sorry," he said quietly, his green eyes solemn in the flickering candlelight.

Hearing this, Gabrielle nearly choked on the wine she'd just swallowed.

"What?" she asked, absolutely taken aback. What was Jack apologizing to her for? She'd spent most of the evening mulling over how she'd tell him she was sorry for everything that happened in Algiers. And he was apologetic?

"I didn't protect you in Algeria like I should have. I got upset over nothing and just let those guys Kazima sent..." Jack clenched his jaw, noticeably angry with himself. "I wasn't there to stop them from hurting you and scaring you. Everything that happened to you — it was all my fault." Jack looked down, unable to bring his eyes to meet Gabrielle's. "I should've kept you safe and I didn't." His voice was now a near-whisper. "I failed you. If anything... worse... had happened, it would've all been because of me. I could've lost you, Doc. Because I wasn't man enough to protect you. Or to love you like you deserve to be loved."

Jack's words stunned Gaby. She hadn't realized that he was blaming himself for their abduction in Algeria. In essence, he was feeling at fault for the same things she'd been guilting herself over. His words touched her deeply. But they also broke her heart. How could she have ever thought of giving up on what they had together just because she'd felt guilty — and perhaps a little overwhelmed by all the changes in their relationship coming on so quickly? She loved Jack. She loved Kasim. And life without them would be no life at all.

"Jack... no..." Gabrielle's voice was thick with emotion. She reached over the table, taking his hands in hers. "You know something? I've .... I've been blaming myself for what happened over there." Tears streamed down Gaby's cheeks. Her voice quavered. "I felt like if... if I'd listened to you and not gone along, you ... you would've been safe. Because Kazima came after me... She wanted a doctor — someone to help Kasim..." Swallowing hard, she went on. "It was my fault, not yours. And I was so scared when those men attacked you." Now she sobbed uncontrollably. "I wanted to help you, Jack. But I couldn't. I was afraid they were going to kill you... kill me... I'd never get to tell you how much I loved you, not even just one more time... I thought maybe I should stay away from you and Kasim... because I'm not good enough for you. Or for him."

"Baby... Oh, honey... no... NO..." Jack got up from his chair and took Gaby in his arms, holding her tightly as he gently moved her towards the sofa. Once there, they sat and Jack held Gaby against his chest while she wept. He hated to see her so upset; he wanted to do anything — whatever it took — to ease the pain she was feeling at that moment.

And then it was out there before he knew it, before he even heard himself say it.

"Marry me, Gabrielle."

His breath caught in his throat, hearing the words. She pulled back from him, her eyes searching his. It occurred to him that he had never in his life felt so utterly terrified as he did at this particular moment.

Her answer was soft, but firm.

"I will."

* * *

"You'll really let me be your husband, Doc?"

Jack was propped up on one elbow, gazing down at Gaby as she lay facing him, tracing a nondescript pattern in his chest hair with her index finger. It tickled his skin and he smiled boyishly.

"If you'll let me be your wife. I think that's part of the deal, Ace." Now Jack frowned, poking out his lower lip. Gabrielle studied him curiously. "What?" she asked, winking at Jack, "Have the rules changed? If they did, nobody gave me the memo."

"I don't have a ring," Jack said softly. He looked down, clearly depressed at not having planned everything out perfectly. "I should've had a ring ready for you. What kind of a guy asks the woman he loves to marry him and doesn't give her an engagement ring?" Jack sighed heavily, rolling over onto his back. Staring up at the ceiling dejectedly, he continued, "I can't do anything right."

"Okay, stop talking about my future husband like that," Gaby said, putting her head on Jack's shoulder. "Do you really think I care about an engagement ring, Jack? Really? Come on... You want to know the truth? I think engagement rings are... stupid."

"Huh?" Jack was truly surprised by Gaby's comment. She wasn't big on wearing jewelry but she had some stylish necklaces and accessories. She knew how to dress and she always managed to look glamorous, even when she was in sweats or scrubs. "Aw, you're just saying that because I didn't..."

"I am NOT 'just saying that'," Gaby said, cutting Jack off in a gentle manner. "So we're supposed to be that much more engaged because you put some expensive ring on my finger? I've never understood how that's supposed to work. And besides, MEN don't wear engagement rings. I just don't see the point. You and I know we're going to be married. Our family, our friends — they'll know. I don't need a ring to show off."

Jack pulled Gabrielle to him, kissing her deeply. Then he held her close against him, loving the feel of her head on his shoulder.

"But I wanna tell the world you're gonna be my wife. And that I'm gonna be your husband." Jack thought about it for a minute or two. "Maybe we could get matching t-shirts or something." He shot Gaby a huge grin, which she returned with a look of horror.

"Or something," she said, patting Jack's chest.


	14. All Or Nothing

Title: All Or Nothing  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Jack and Gaby surprise everyone -- themselves most of all, perhaps.

**-------------------- All Or Nothing ---------------------**

"My parents will NOT understand this," Gabrielle said. "Any of it." She knew her mother, in particular, would be furious. And as happy as Gaby was, she dreaded telling her mother the truth.

"Neither will mine," Jack agreed. "But you know what? They're gonna have to deal with it, baby. This was our decision. We own it. And if they aren't happy for us, well..."

"It's not that they won't be happy that we did it, honey," Gaby replied, reaching out to stroke Jack's cheek. "Maybe it's just... they'll wish we'd waited. To ask them to be part of it."

Jack frowned, looking dolefully at Gabrielle.

"But I thought this was what you wanted, too," he said, any trace of the joy he'd felt slipping away.

"Oh no... NO!" Gaby pulled Jack to her, holding him tightly. "Jack... this IS what I wanted. Oh, honey, I didn't mean to make you think that I'm not glad we went ahead and got married!" She smiled, blushing. "I couldn't wait, either. I'm happy that I'm finally your wife... you're my husband... it's official. And I love that. And you."

"I love you, too, Gabrielle," Jack said, his eyes searching hers. "I love being your husband... you being my wife... us being married. I just... I'm..."

Jack's lips met Gabrielle's just then as they kissed tenderly. When they finally pulled back from one another, Jack gazed down at his new bride with green eyes that sparkled. He was beside himself with joy at being Gabrielle's husband.

He hadn't thought she'd agree when he'd said, only a few hours after proposing, "Aw, the heck with waiting six months or whatever, Doc. Will you marry me TONIGHT?" But she'd said "Yes. Absolutely." And here they were now -- husband and wife. They'd both gotten so swept up in the excitement of making their marriage happen so unconventionally that the reality of not having their families involved was only just hitting each of them.

Gabrielle worried about how her mother would feel. Jeanne had dreamed of helping her eldest daughter plan every detail of her wedding one day. Gaby knew her mother never expected to be involved in — or likely even asked to — any wedding her younger sister Giselle might have. That, in itself, was a longshot anyway; Giselle railed loudly against marriage and "being controlled" by anyone. Now, her mother wouldn't get to see Gaby take her vows; her father wouldn't give her away. At least, none of these things would happen for the first time. And Gabrielle knew her parents would be hurt. But marrying Jack felt so right. She wouldn't apologize for that, for going with her feelings and giving herself to the only man she'd ever truly loved. She'd done the right thing, she knew, even if nobody but she and Jack understood. And she'd never felt so happy. Gaby looked at the "wedding ring" Jack had hastily produced for her — his old Ohio State frat ring. It was all he could offer until they had time to purchase a real set of wedding bands. She adored it. And him. He'd snickered playfully when she put her medical school graduation ring on his pinky, the only finger the small ring would barely fit. It was still too small but Jack wiggled it at her, joking "I'm all YOURS now."

Jack knew that his mother would accept the news of his sudden wedding with that resolute silence of hers — the quiet that meant she was so upset she literally could not speak. His father would be the one who'd give him hell about why he couldn't wait to marry Gabrielle, why he'd been so impatient. And Jack would have to work to keep from reminding his old man that when HE was a young man he didn't wait around for a damn thing, did he? Danny would be his usual devil-may-care self and just ask when the delayed bachelor party was happening and when he got to french... uh... kiss his big bro's bride. Sarah was going to be absolutely furious at not having been in on the secret. Jack hoped that, as usual, Paul's quiet demeanor would save the day and keep Sarah from screaming bloody murder at both he and Gaby — before she broke down in tears at being so happy for them but feeling so sad that Jack didn't come to her because, after all, she WAS his big sister...

What worried Jack most was how Kasim would handle the news. His son loved Gabrielle as if she were his mother. But Kasim had been adjusting to lots of new things in his life, not the least of which was learning that Jack was his real father, and finding out that his father had gotten married and hadn't told him or had him at the ceremony... Jack felt sad at not having had his beloved boy with him when he and Gaby exchanged vows. Maybe they _had_ been too hasty. He sighed, wondering if he'd screwed up things for he and Gaby again. Then Jack realized that, despite those things, the knowledge that he was now Gaby's husband filled him with the kind of happiness he thought he'd never feel. He had a beautiful son and a gorgeous wife. He had a family. He'd find a way to make Kasim understand. He'd make his family realize that he and Gaby had made the right decision.

But then he thought of someone else. Someone far away who he hadn't seen or heard from in so long. That she wouldn't speak to him left him feeling empty inside. He loved her with all his heart and she acted as if he didn't exist anymore. Couldn't she forgive him? It had been years now. He wondered what she would think of Gabrielle, of Kasim, of the man he'd become...

"Honey?" Gabrielle said softly to Jack as she nestled her head against his chest. "Are you OK?"

Jack grinned down at her. He gently ran his hand through her light brown hair.

"Oh, I'm OK, baby," Jack answered, his voice growing husky. "Now I was thinking... Where should we go on our honeymoon?"

"Hmmm..." Gaby raised an eyebrow playfully. "I know this great place across town. It's clean, there's a kitchen, full bar, big-screen TV and a king-size bed."

"Sounds like it has all the comforts of home," Jack teased.

"It _is_ home," Gaby laughed.

"Ah," Jack replied, putting his arm around his wife's shoulders as he led her towards his vintage Mustang. "Good thing I dusted this afternoon, then, huh?"


	15. Missionary Man

Title: Missionary Man  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Word of Gaby and Jack's surprise wedding gets around — but someone misses the message.

**-------------------- Missionary Man ---------------------**

Scrolling through the messages on her iPhone, the young woman rolled her eyes as she sipped her martini. They were all the usual pleas for her attention, the same men desperate to gain favor with her.

_When will I see you again?_

_You were supposed to call. You didn't. Call me. Please._

_Last night - amazing. See you tonight?_

These, she deleted without a second thought. So annoying, how they begged. She had no time for this. Or for them.

Next were the business messages. Because they were important, they were tagged and quickly sent to a special folder. She would spend real time studying these when she was alone, when eyes weren't upon her, when she could work out the deals as she pleased — always on her own terms and on her own timeframe. She didn't like to be rushed and her clients either understood this or, as so many had been forced to learn, they would no longer be the recipients of her services. And she was the best at what she did. So her clientele waited for her calls. She made the rules. This was as it should be.

She took another sip of her martini. _Not dry enough,_ she thought, shooting a venomous look at the bartender. He would have to go.

Finally, there were the other messages. Mamá again. She sighed bitterly, shaking her head in disgust. Why had she even given her mother access to her email? They had nothing to say to each other. Her older sister was the favorite daughter, despite the way Mamá and Papá swore that they loved their girls equally for their different personalities and interests.

_Please,_ she thought. _No one can compare to Saint Gabrielle, the brilliant doctor. That sanctimonious BITCH._

She hated Gabrielle. Despised her success, how she had breezed through school and college as a straight-A student. Everyone praised and adored Gaby; she was the "good" girl, the one who never caused trouble or disagreed with Mamá and Papá. The three of them were cut from the same cloth.

But she was different from her family in every conceivable way. School bored her and, although she too was exceptionally intelligent, she didn't see the point of wasting her time writing papers and doing homework when she could be utilizing her talents in more creative ways. Why sit in stuffy classrooms listening to the nuns day in, day out when the world was out there to be explored on a girl's own terms? College sounded like more of the same. Not that it was ever in the cards for her. Having barely graduated from the Catholic school she and Gabrielle attended, she'd been told by Sister Hortencia that perhaps finding a suitable career would be her best option.

So she'd done just that. Found a career. Quite by accident, really.

During a weekend spent at home alone when her parents had gone to visit Gaby at college, she'd had plans to party with friends on the town. But a sore throat kept her indoors. Unable to bear the boredom, she'd actually found herself looking through some old books in her mother's library. This was the sort of thing Gabrielle loved doing and she felt strangely out of place rummaging through their mother's books and old trunks that she'd kept from her own days as a young woman. Obviously, she was much sicker than she'd thought if she was reduced to spending a weekend this way.

Inside one trunk of her mother's, she found an old photo album. There were photos of her mother as a medical student. She hated Gabrielle for looking exactly like their mother. Unlike Mamá or Gaby, she had dark eyes and black hair. And yet she didn't look like Papá, not Spanish at all. She didn't look like anyone in the family and it disturbed her. _Maybe I'm adopted,_ she thought. _Wouldn't that be nice?_

At last, one photo caught her eye. When she saw his face, which mirrored her own, she gasped in shock. Her mother was planting a kiss on the man's cheek and he toasted the camera with a flute of champagne. His dark eyes sparkled deviously, full of mystery and secrets. Carefully, she had removed the photo and studied its backing, hoping for a description. Luck was on her side this day.

_"Jeanne & René - Paris, 2005"_

So this was her Grand-père Benoit who Mamá never spoke of. How interesting.

After finding the picture of the grandfather she resembled, she was determined to learn everything about the man. She couldn't ask her mother. Mamá was strangely silent on the topic of her own Papá, which was in and of itself fascinating. What was Mamá hiding? On her own, the girl tracked down René Benoit's life story, learned of his untimely demise... of the 'business' he worked so hard to hide from his devoted daughter.

Grand-père had been a successful man. Shouldn't someone carry on his legacy?

She decided that she would. Only she wouldn't fall victim to the same sort of people who had brought about her grandfather's end.

His fatal mistake had been falling for the NCIS agent, the woman who never loved him as he loved her. He should have known better than to trust her.

This wasn't a problem for her, however, since she trusted no one. And so, over the years, she'd become far more successful than René Benoit had ever been in the arms-dealing business, supplying only elite clientele who understood that discretion was a must when working with her. After all, she did have the nightclub in Paris to run, too, and that demanded her 'attention.'

With a snap of her fingers, the night manager was at her side in a minute. The bartender who'd presented her with the not-dry-enough martini? Fired.

Now... what did Mamá want? Most likely, this was another "Please tell me how you are" message that would go unanswered. Sighing, she opened it and was stunned at what she read.

Gabrielle had gotten married. She'd met an NCIS agent in Washington D.C. and after a few months of dating, they'd been wed by a justice of the peace. There would be a ceremony where they'd renew their vows for family and friends in a month. Her sister wanted her to be there. Wouldn't she please...

Punching the email application shut in fury, the girl slammed her iPhone onto the bar. DAMN Gabrielle! And DAMN her new husband, whoever HE was, and their little sweet 'ceremony'! Of course she wouldn't be there. Why start playing the loving sister now?

"Most people just hang up," a man's voice said from over her shoulder. "But I don't have one of those so I wouldn't know. I'm still a phone booth kinda guy myself."

She whipped around on her barstool, enraged and ready to lay into the man daring to speak to her this way. Instead, when she looked into his dark brown eyes she found herself unable to utter a word.

"I was just kidding," he said. "Hey, lemme make it up to you. Buy you a drink?"

He smiled at her and she struggled to control her breathing. She was used to being picked up and frankly enjoyed having one-night stands. But this was different. She _wanted_ this man, whoever he was, as she'd never wanted a man before. And so suddenly. Who knew why?

"I'd say yes," she answered, "but right now I'm short one bartender." When the man looked surprised, she continued, "I _own_ this club."

"Nice place," he replied. "Y'know, I was a bartender back in New York..."

"Are you hitting me up for a job?" the woman asked, smirking at the stranger. She loved his brown eyes already and wanted to run her hands through his close-cropped jet black hair. The tight t-shirt he wore showed off his muscles. She wanted to see much more of what the shirt covered.

"If you offered, I wouldn't say no." The man grinned, leaning on the bar. She swallowed hard.

"I'll need to interview you," the woman said suggestively. "My office. Now." Rising, she made her way from the bar and beckoned for the man to come with her. He followed and they made their way to an elevator lift at the back of the building. The woman pressed the "up" button as the man watched. They got into the elevator together, saying nothing, and exited about two floors up. The woman unlocked a door and led the man into a large loft apartment. It was expensively decorated and well-appointed.

"This is your office?" the man said, looking around.

"No, this is my living room," the woman replied. She gripped the man's belt buckle, pulling him down a short hallway. Opening another door, she flipped on a light and he saw before him an enormous bedroom. Silken curtains fluttered before a window; a king-sized bed appeared ready for an evening's entertainment. "_This_ is where I conduct my business," the woman said, pushing the man onto the bed as she pulled him into a heated, hungry kiss.

* * *

"Weird," Jack said, frowning at his iPhone. "I sent Danny an email about the wedding and the ceremony and I got a bounceback saying the message can't be delivered. That's never happened before."

"Maybe his phone's just acting up," Gabrielle replied. She was reading a message from her mother. Nothing from Giselle yet, Mamá wrote. But maybe she would come for the ceremony. Gaby had been happy that her parents — and Jack's family — weren't as upset as either of them had imagined they'd be. Everyone was excited about the upcoming ceremony. In her heart, Gaby knew Giselle wouldn't be there. No matter how many times she'd tried reaching out to her younger sister, Giselle had rejected Gaby's attempts to get close.

"No," Jack answered. "Danny NEVER goes anywhere without his phone. I only got _this_ thing because he kept on and on about how I just HAD to have one or life itself was gonna end or something like that. Hell, I never even _wanted_ it. HE's the gadget freak in the family. Wonder if Mom or Dad got in touch with him?" It worried Jack that he couldn't reach his younger brother. Even when Danny was working on a mission, he always found a way to stay in touch with Jack. This wasn't like him at all.

"Is he working undercover?" Gaby asked. "There might be a reason he can't contact you." Noticing how concerned Jack was, Gaby sought to reassure her husband. "Honey, don't worry. I'm sure Danny's okay. You told me yourself that he's never gotten himself into any fix he can't get out of, right?"

"Yeah," Jack sighed. "Right."

* * *

"Going somewhere?"

Her voice startled him in the darkness. He'd thought she was asleep.

"Uh... I didn't think you'd want me around when you woke up, so..." It wasn't the best excuse he'd ever come up with but it was all he could think of at the moment.

"What gives you _that_ idea?" She sat up in the bed now, letting her eyes adjust to the inky blackness. His form was becoming clear to her from where he stood at the foot of the bed. She studied his body, wanting the closer view she'd enjoyed earlier.

"Well..." Now she had him. "Most women usually..."

"I'm _not_ most women!" she snapped. "And I'm not _ready_ for you to leave!"

He took a deep breath. None of what had happened with her had been part of the plan. Now she wanted more. He didn't want to stay. He hadn't wanted to make love to her. But he'd been told to get close to her by any means necessary.

Pulling off his briefs, he slowly approached her bed, naked. She smiled at him, stroking the hair on his chest as he lay beside her.

"You've got the job," she said, pressing her lips against his neck as she peppered hot little kisses on his skin. He shuddered at her touch. "Now we just need to work out your... _benefits_."


	16. Stretch Out And Wait

Title: Stretch Out And Wait  
Author: rekkidbraka  
Rating: T  
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.  
Category: Romance  
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Danny's in more danger than he knows.

**-------------------- Stretch Out And Wait ---------------------**

She clung to him, her head on his chest, finally sleeping after their night of lovemaking. He'd wondered when it might end, when she'd let him rest. It had taken hours. How was she able to keep going for so long? None of the other women he'd been with had so much energy. He guessed that her stamina should impress him; it didn't.

All he wanted was to escape her bed, find a way to leave her grasp. But he'd have to see her again. And again. He wouldn't only be working for her, "bartending," he knew; she'd expect sex from him whenever and wherever she wanted it.

And he was obligated to give her everything she desired.

It would be the only way to eventually bring her down.

How would he ever explain what he'd done to Kara? She wouldn't understand, not even knowing the intricacies of the job he — no, _they_ — performed on a daily basis. She was tough, took a lot of hard news just like the guys in their group and didn't back down from anything. But finding out that he'd slept with Giselle Benoit so he could get the information about her gun-running operation?

No. Kara wouldn't have his back on this one.

Danny sighed, feeling utterly empty inside as Giselle nuzzled his chest in her sleep.

He wanted Kara — wanted to be with her since the day they'd been paired as partners at NCIS: Special Ops. He'd been in love with her for years. But he never had the nerve to admit it. Definitely couldn't work up to telling her how he really felt.

Now he was sure of one thing: He could kiss his dreams of ever being with Kara goodbye.

* * *

"Kaaaa-ruuhhh... KAAAA-ruhhh... STORMS are brewwwwinnn' in yer EYYYYYES..."

The man was a terrible singer but she just shook off his teasing for what it was — his usual good-natured silliness.

"What's up, Tex? You missing Danny THAT much already? Nobody to play with?"

The man smiled, pushing his blond hair back out of his blue eyes. Kara Callen always knew how to hit him where it hurt. Danny DiNozzo was his best buddy in the world and he'd had a bad feeling about this mission, told Double-D not to take it. He rubbed the stubble on his chin, remembering how they'd talked over beers when Danny told him about the assignment.

"Too much history there, man," he'd said in his Texas twang. "Your ole man, her Mama, the way her Daddy bought the farm... Now your brother, her sister... That's some BAAAAD mojo you're messin' with, brother."

Danny had laughed it off. Just like he always did. Said he could handle any chick. Even one who had a rep as a murderous global gun-runner. He was a DiNozzo Man, after all.

"Yeah, that's what scares the livin' hell outta me, dude," he'd said, ordering another round for both of them.

Kara, he knew, was afraid for Danny as well. She acted tough but he knew there was something special between she and Danny, some spark. Both denied it.

"You think Double-D's in trouble, KC?" The man put his scuffed boots up on his desk, looking Kara straight in the eye from across the room. She didn't flinch.

"Yes," she answered. "Because he IS trouble."

"Bet we'll have to bail his ass out, huh?" The man pushed his blond hair back again. His boss wanted him to get a haircut — and a shave. He'd resisted.

"Like we've never done THAT before?" Kara said sarcastically.

She knew that Danny needed her. But she was tired of always being his lifeline, the woman he turned to when he needed help out of a jam. Just once, though, Kara wanted to be the one Danny needed just because he needed someone to love. And she knew that, to him, she would never be that woman. Then again, wasn't that how her mom and dad finally got together? Kensi Blye saving G. Callen's smart-assed ass?

She looked just like her dark, gorgeous mother, which was a plus on the streets of L.A. And she could lie her way out of any situation. That came right from Daddy-O. Kara smiled briefly at the memory of summers spent playing at the beach with her parents — when they weren't called away on an Ops mission. But she'd learned so much during all those nights and weekends spent with her beloved Aunt Hetty. The diminutive bespectacled woman was a genius. And she'd tutored Kara well in how to run Ops — someday. Work was life, life was work. Still, Kara often wished the two didn't always have to mesh so completely.

"Tex, why do YOU think Danny's in a jam?" Kara was now deadly serious. The tall, blond Texan kicked off from his desk and stood, looking out over the whole of the Special Ops office. He pushed his hands down into the pockets of his worn-out Levi's, staring down at his beaten-up boots.

"'Cause he left _this_ here in his desk," Tex said in his drawl. He held out an iPhone. "And he never goes _anywhere_ without it. Not even when he's deep cover."

Kara got up and went over to where Tex stood, fiddling with Danny's phone. She studied the gadget with interest.

"Maybe he's got contacts on there we can..."

But she wasn't able to finish. An incoming call interrupted Kara's thought. Tex peered at the small screen to see who was calling.

"Tali?" he drawled, raising a blond eyebrow. He knew all of Danny's friends but he didn't know any Tali. He pressed the screen to answer, saying nothing.

"Shalom," a woman's voice said firmly from the other end. She waited for a response. Getting none, she said only "Danny?" in a concerned tone.

"Hey, is this Tali?" Tex answered. "Listen, I'm a friend of Danny's and..."

Silence greeted Tex. The woman hung up immediately.

"Well, that was _rude_," Tex drawled, frowning at the phone. Whoever the hell this Tali girl was, she sure didn't mind her manners.

* * *

"Jack has married the doctor," the young woman in dark sunglasses said. "She is a good woman. She will take care of Kasim."

"So you approve," the other young woman replied sarcastically. Then she scowled, obviously angry at the news. "Do you realize how this complicates our assignment? They are _sisters_. Do you not honestly believe the doctor has no knowledge of her sister's dealings?"

"I think she knows nothing of her sister's business," the first woman answered. "And I do not see the marriage as a problem for us. Actually, I believe we now have a way to track Giselle far more easily. Gabrielle _likes_ me. I gained her trust when I asked her to..." Now the woman needed to regain her composure. She lived with the harsh reality of her decision every day. "... to take my son. She will confide in me — given time."

"We do not HAVE time!" The young woman pulled her long, dark curly hair back, tying it into a ponytail. It was a scorching day in Tel Aviv. She sighed; there was no reason for her to snap at her friend. Although she knew that she and this woman should not be as close as they were, she couldn't help liking her. Their relationship was supposed to be only that of handler and contact. But because of what had happened with Jack, because of Kasim's birth, they had grown as close as sisters. Her grandfather, were he still alive, would throw her out of Mossad for this — making a "sister" of an Arab terrorist's daughter. And her partner... he, too, was risking his career — his life — for loving this woman as he did. It was all so complicated, the intricacies of their relationships...

"Tali?" the woman in the sunglasses said. "Are you feeling well?" She worried about her friend. Her Mossad work was the girl's life. But she wished her dear "sister" would find a man to love. Just as she finally had herself. Jack had been a... what was the American word for it? Fling? She understood that now, having matured. But Moshe... Moshe Rivkin was real. The man she'd dreamed of someday finding. That he was Jewish should matter to her. Also that his mission was to kill her father. And yet they were soulmates. At first he had resisted his desire for her. She was Arab, the daughter of his enemy. She was also the longtime secret contact working with Mossad to bring down her father's terrorist organization. Her loyalties, he'd charged during their first meeting, were divided, were they not? She'd replied that her only loyalties were to her young son and to making his world one of peace. This she would die to accomplish. From that moment on, Moshe Rivkin had become her confidant, her love. Only Tali knew of their recent marriage, conducted in secret. Tali had been the only person to witness their vows.

"Yes," Tali said softly, taking her best friend's hand in hers. "I am alright, Kazima. And I apologize. I have not heard from my brother in weeks." She sighed, looking at her iPhone. Tali wondered where Danny could be and why a strange man with an odd accent had answered his phone. "It is unlike him to go so long without contacting me. And I worry."


End file.
